The Land Before Time: Struggle of the Seven Heroes
by Heritor
Summary: Littlefoot, now trapped in his dark form, has succumbed to being the antagonist! With a lust for blood due to a problem with the stone of cold fire, his friends are thrust into an adventure to save their old friend from hurting others- and himself.
1. Prologue

Author's note: Like part two of this trilogy, I will update once every three days, provided I don't have any more computer trouble.

**The Land Before Time: **

**Struggle of the Seven Heroes**

**Prologue**

In which a sneaky father begins the end.

"Nooooo! Come on, you must be joking!"

"Sorry, son. You can't be rewarded with a story when you won't clean your room. I've reminded you three times today alone, not to mention the several times throughout the week."

"What if I clean it up right now, mom? Then can dad continue?"

"Sorry. You've been putting it off for too long now, and I've been warning you about what would happen. You'll have to wait till tomorrow to hear the rest of the story, that is, if you clean your room tonight. Maybe next time you won't procrastinate when your mother tells you to do something."

"But-!" though a stern look from his mother made him close his mouth, and he tromped to his room in silence.

Just then, his father walked over. He was carrying two cups with some purple liquid inside.

"I brought us some juice, dear. Want to go to bed and chat?"

"Thanks, and I suppose so. Nothing more to do today."

"Did you explain the situation to him?"

"Yes. He was upset, but ultimately he accepted his punishment and will clean it up tonight. You can finish the story tomorrow."

"Alrighty, sounds good." The two of them reached their quarters and lied down in bed, pulling up the covers and snuggling close to each other. Both of them rested their backs against the bed frame and sipped their juice.

"So what should we talk about?" she asked him.

"Mm, how about our meals as of late? Don't you think the salads have been a little bland lately?"

"They seem fine to me. You must be losing your taste in your old age."

"Gee, that makes me feel so much better." At that, his wife laughed. Suddenly, she put her hand over her head. "Dear? Is something the matter?"

"I- I don't know. I suddenly feel so tir-" but she couldn't finish her sentence as she lost consciousness.

Her mate immediately got up, put her in a complete reclining position, pulled the covers up over her chest, and walked out of the room as he grabbed something from his shelf. Soon, he entered his son's still-cluttered room.

"How did it go?" he asked his father.

"Perfectly. Those sleeping aid herbs I put in her juice knocked her out. She should sleep like a baby all night. Don't forget our deal though. After you finally finish your room, I want you to organize my closet. I don't trust the servant with my personal things. Anyway, ready to finish the heroes trilogy?"

"Nah, I'm losing interest. Maybe some other time."

His father glanced at him with a smirk, and the boy couldn't keep a straight face and burst into laughter.

"Ha ha, kidding! You bet I'm ready! Let's wrap this story up."

Chuckling, he replied, "As you wish."


	2. Chapter I

**Chapter I: Reversion**

In which the adult Sharpteeth undergo a familiar change.

"I'm sorry. I need to rest a bit," Menta admitted, sitting down very slowly so as not to knock off her passengers.

"No apology is needed, Menta. You rest as long as you need to. Mind Seek takes a lot of energy."

Menta smiled at her brother. He was always so thoughtful. Dusk sat down beside her, doing so carefully as well, and the kids got off the adult Sharpteeth, taking a seat to rest from the search too.

"Um, Mrs. Menta," Ducky began, "are you able to see what Littlefoot is doing while you use your power?"

"Well, I can. Mind Seek just lets me sense his location, but with some extra effort, I can tap into his senses and see what's going on with him."

"Would you do it for us please? We're all worried and want to know what he's up to," Chomper requested.

"Easy, Chomper. She's tired and knowing what he's doing won't do us any good," Dusk replied.

"I know it won't change anything to know, but it would really ease my mind to know everything's okay with him," Chomper said quietly.

Menta looked down at Chomper. The little Sharptooth seemed so worried that she just couldn't turn him down.

"I have enough strength. I'll do it," she announced.

Dusk turned to her sharply, but the determination in her eyes kept him from objecting. Menta closed her eyes and focused. Suddenly, Menta jumped to her feet so suddenly that she startled everyone else. She ran a short distance away- then threw up. Dusk was immediately on his feet and rushed to her side.

"What's the matter!" he asked, very concerned.

"I saw- oh, it was just so horrible. We've lived off of green food for so long now that I'd all but forgotten what disemboweled bodies looked like. With our diet change, the sight just made me sick,' she replied, sitting back down.

"What exactly did you see?" Cera wanted to know.

"I- I'd rather not repeat it. When we pass through the village though, you'll see for yourself."

"If it's such a gruesome sight, why not go around the village?" Ceit reasoned.

"No, we'd best go through to see if there are any survivors we can help," Menta countered.

"Did Littlefoot- kill some dinosaurs?" Chomper asked hesitantly.

"He did more than that," Menta said quietly.

"How far away from this place are we?" Dusk wanted to know.

"It's not far. When we start moving again, we'll be there in minutes."

"Then let's get moving now!" Chomper demanded. "We have to catch Littlefoot right away before anyone else gets hurt."

"I understand your concern, Chomper. I really do. But if Menta continues while tired, she'll pass out like she has before and then we'll be stuck with no way of following him for some time. Patience, kiddo," Dusk told him.

It wasn't long before Menta got back to her feet. Dusk looked up at her and she said, "I'm ready."

Dusk and Menta each put some of the kids back on their shoulders and they resumed their trek. None of them noticed because the bright circle wasn't covered up, but sky puffies full of water were gathering and getting ready to pour down. As the dinosaurs pressed on, small droplets started to descend onto their heads.

"Aw, not sky water!" Cera whined. Then a bolt of sky fire thundered through the air. All of the kids jumped.

"Let's hurry!" Menta called out. "The village is not far and we can get shelter there."

Dusk and Menta started to sprint with Ceit and Petrie flying overhead. Ducky lost her balance from atop Menta and slid off, but Spike quickly lowered his head and caught her.

"Thank you, Spike." He grunted in reply.

It wasn't long before they all arrived at the village. Dusk led everyone to the giant barn and walked inside. Though the building was pretty tall, Dusk and Menta had to hunch over to fit inside. Before doing so, they quickly set their passengers down onto the ground. They all sat and waited for the sky to stop pouring and flashing in silence. Then, Ducky noticed something. Sky water was flowing into the barn, getting her feet wet. However, it quickly turned a bright shade of red.

"That is funny, it is, it is," she commented.

"What is?" Cera asked.

"The sky water turned red."

Dusk looked down and sniffed the liquid.

"That's not water, Ducky. Not entirely, anyway. It's red from blood."

All the kids froze. Then, as the bloody water further entered the barn, they all started to back up.

"Why in the world is there blood on the ground?" Cera wondered aloud.

"It's the same reason I felt sick earlier," Menta replied. "If you have a weak stomach, don't follow me." With that, Menta walked out of the barn towards a field. Everyone else came too out of curiosity. Menta came to a halt at a large bunch of sticks protruding out of the ground. However, it was what was _on_ the sticks that made everyone, minus Ceit and Dusk, who could stomach the sight, lost the food they had in their stomachs. On several dozen sticks were heads of Rainbow Faces, and a pile of headless bodies lay piled nearby. The eyes of them seemed to be staring right at the group.

"Littlefoot?" Dusk asked. Menta nodded.

"Why would Littlefoot do something so horrible?" Chomper finally found the words to say.

"He wanted to show off his power and commemorate his victory," Menta replied. "I saw it in his mind as he was finishing this."

Coaley, who was now able to handle the sight, started to look for someone in particular. Try as she might though, she could not. However, this made her smile.

"What is it, Coaley?" Chomper asked her.

"I don't see Niah's, a friend of mine, head anywhere. She must have escaped. Niah! Niah are you there? Say something if you can hear me!" Yet, she got no reply.

Chomper came over and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure we'll find her eventually," he said soothingly.

Coaley put a hand over his and replied, "Thank you."

Finally, the rain began to let up. The group expected the bright circle to come out and make things lighter again, but although the sky water had ceased, the clouds still covered it.

"Let's not waste any more time," Cera suggested. "We need to find Littlefoot."

"She starting to sound like Ace," Petrie whispered to Ducky. Cera heard him and glanced at him. Petrie immediately cowered, but instead of yelling at him, a tear formed in her eye. He started to apologize, but Ducky put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

"I agree with her," Dusk told them. "Let's resume the chase." The kids were lifted back onto the grown Sharpteeth's shoulders, Menta focused, then they all continued the pursuit. They soon came to a group of trees, and the adults stopped.

"Hm. Dusk and I won't fit through here. The trees are too big to knock down and too close together for us to walk through. We'll have to go around," Menta announced. As they moved along, several eyes peered out at them from inside the group of trees. Dusk sniffed the air more carefully and noticed the creatures but paid them no heed. Moments later, a large group of Silence Stalkers leapt from the trees and started nibbling on Dusk's feet.

"Oh no!" Chomper exclaimed. To his surprise, Dusk only chuckled.

The male Sharptooth simply lifted his great foot and brought it down, killing them all at once.

"There's more than one advantage to being huge," Dusk spoke up. "I don't think any beasts stand a chance against me now. We'll be perfectly safe along our journey."

Suddenly, Menta turned and hit Dusk in the face. He recoiled, but maintained his balance, and none of the kids fell off of him.

xxxxx

"Uh, what? Why would Menta hit Dusk? That's not like her at all," a boy asked his father.

He let loose a sigh as he smiled. "Son, try and have a little patience. Not everything is explained the moment it happens. Give the story a little time to have things make sense."

"Yeah, sorry, dad. I'm just a little on edge. Littlefoot becoming some crazy killer is still so hard for me to wrap my mind around."

"Don't worry, I understand. That part really surprised me too when I first knew of it. Now, if you're done asking questions…"

"Oh, right. Yes, I'm good, Go ahead."

His father, however, did not start back up.

"Oh yeah. PLEASE go ahead."

He looked back to the book with a laugh and continued.

xxxxx

"Menta, what was that fo-" but Dusk could not finish his sentence, as Menta rammed him. This time, he did fall over. Chomper, Ruby, Coaley, and Agu, the kids who were on him, all jumped off at the last moment and managed not to get hurt. The moment Dusk was back on his feet, a psychic push knocked him back and he landed on his side. Dusk sat up quickly, eying a huge stone, and called out, "Shadow Bind!"

Menta tried getting closer to him, but she stopped short when she felt the weight of the boulder stuck to her shadow. She lifted an arm and called out, "Rewind!" Her shadow then released its contact with the boulder. She smiled, having suddenly had an idea. She telepathically lifted the boulder into the air…

"Hen, no problem," Dusk thought to himself.

With a sudden thrust of her arm, the boulder went sailing through the air towards Dusk. He then shouted, "Shadow Pull!" The boulder suddenly dropped straight down causing a small rumbling. "I'm not going to hurt you, Menta. Just stop doing this. I know I haven't been the best brother to you, but please, let's not fight anymore."

"Dusk is Menta's brother!" the children thought to themselves in surprise.

Menta looked him hard in the eyes, and tears started to stream down her cheeks. However, she raised both of her arms and two trees floated into the air and began sailing towards Dusk. Now Dusk was worried. His Shadow Pull cool down wouldn't let him stop them both.

"Shadow Pull!" he called out, and one of them plummeted. He raised his hands and focused, then a energy started to form and harden to act as a shield. However, he couldn't call forth enough energy fast enough.

"Shrink!" Cera exclaimed, and the flying tree lessened to a small fraction of its size, allowing Dusk to bat it aside.

Menta turned to the Three Horn on her shoulder and shot a mental blast that knocked all of the kids off of her. Petrie immediately started flapping his wings, and a strong gust of air carried Cera, Ducky, Spike, and Ali safely to the ground, and he landed beside them.

Dusk had no choice. Dinosaurs were going to get hurt if this continued. He was going to have to stop holding back. Though his heart screamed out to not fight her, his mind knew that there was no other choice. He glared at his sister and attacked.

"Shadow Pull!"

Menta slammed down to the ground and landed on her side with a loud thud. Then, a tiny thing fell out of her ear. It looked to be a bug, a crawler like there were on Earth. No one but Dusk noticed the little creature come out. He ran over, bent down, and picked it up.

"What exactly were you doing in my sister?" Dusk demanded. The others didn't see what Dusk picked up, so it seemed like he was talking to his hand.

"Did Menta's attacks hurt his head?" Petrie whispered to Ducky.

"I do not know, I do not, I do not," came her reply.

The little creature in Dusk's hand remained silent, not answering Dusk's question. This made him think the thing couldn't talk.

"I am so sorry, my lord!" Menta exclaimed, getting to her feet. "I suddenly lost control of all my actions, but I could see everything."

"Hm. I think this little thing had something to do with it." Dusk replied, holding out his hand.

"Maybe. Let me see," Menta said, focusing, reading the thing's mind. "Yes! It's a Controlling Crawler! They crawl up into creatures and take over their brains."

"Can they talk?" Dusk wanted to know.

"Yes. I can see in his mind that they do have speech."

"Give me a break, okay? I was just having a little fun," the little creature said.

"Oh, you hear that, guys? We should give him a break since he was just having fun," Dusk repeated to the others. The beast was the only one who didn't pick up on the sarcasm.

"Well, I should be going. My parents will worry if I'm gone much longer," the Controlling Crawler explained.

"Sure thing," Dusk replied. He set the little guy down on the ground and he started crawling away, thinking all was forgiven. Three seconds later, the little beast was a bloody smear under Dusk's foot.

"No one messes with my sister," Dusk said in a chillingly cold voice. "Your parents are better off without a nuisance like you anyway." With that, he started wiping the guts off of his foot on the grass. Then Dusk felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Menta.

"You were wrong, my lord."

"Oh?"

"You're the best brother a dinosaur could have."

Dusk grinned, and the first time in a long while, they shared a hug. When hey separated, Dusk asked, "Are all you kids alright? No one got hurt from falling off of us?"

"Yeah. My foot is killing me. Ugh. Ow," Agu moaned.

Dusk hunched over to look at his foot more closely, but Menta put a hand on Dusk's shoulder. Dusk looked back at her, and she stepped forward to examine Agu's foot herself. Menta put his foot in between two of her fingers and squeezed abruptly. A tiny crack could be heard.

"Yow! What was that for!" Agu demanded.

"Oh, I just got tired of your lies, that's all. Now that your foot is _really_ broken, you don't have to pretend anymore," Menta replied curtly.

"I'm lost," Dusk admitted.

"Don't forget that I can read minds," Menta told them. Agu gulped. "Yes, I read that you were just trying to get attention. Your foot isn't hurt at all. Or, wasn't hurt, I should say. Now that I broke it, you really have a reason to complain."

Dusk shivered. Menta could be even colder than him sometimes. Just then, he heard a voice in his head.

"Don't worry, my lord. "I'll use my Rewind spell and fix his foot later when he's learned his lesson."

"I think breaking his foot was a little harsh, but-"

"You were extremely angry when that Controlling Crawler messed with me. So try to understand how upset I can be when someone messes with you," came the reply in his head.

"I understand." Turning to the others, he said, "Let's get moving again."

As the adult Sharpteeth hoisted the kids onto their shoulders again. Ceit then flew over to Dusk and said, "Looks like we'll still have to be on our guard. It seems that size isn't everything when it comes to fighting."

"Very true, Ceit. I see that now. Still, it's a fact that we don't have to be as careful as we did when we were kid-sized."

"Aye."

xxxxx

"Your highness! Your highness! Your high-"

"Yes, yes, what is it?" Rey wanted to know. He wasn't fond of being interrupted while taking a bath.

"I have bad news. You see, the-" but as the Rainbow Face walked into the room and saw the king bathing, he turned very red. "A thousand apologies, my liege! I had no idea that you were-"

"Forget it," Rey replied, sitting up. "Tell me of this news that is so important."

"Well, you remember how we adjusted the stone so it would be compatible for other types of dinosaurs? This allowed those Sharpteeth to regain their original size and for them all to have all their powers at once."

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, I didn't mention it before since it seemed like nothing, but I've been worried that the change to the stone would make it unstable. Well, I was right. After testing the magic in the air, I've learned that the stone has partially reverted to its original energy signature."

"Meaning?"

"Well, if I'm understanding the readings correctly, those other-worlders will keep having all their powers at once, but the size distortion will return."

Rey sighed. "I was so hoping to eventually get those Sharpteeth's help with our latest building projects. Can the team start thinking of a way to fix it and make it stay for when we get the stone back?"

"I'm sorry to report that it's futile, your highness. We already gave it our best effort. I'm afraid that those three Sharpteeth will…"

xxxxx

Dusk, Menta, and Ceit came to an abrupt halt.

"Is something the matter?" Ducky asked out of concern.

Dusk and Menta slowly got on their knees, and Ceit landed.

"Ugh. You kids had better hop off," Dusk instructed, suddenly feeling odd. They all dismounted, and the adults groaned slightly. Then, all of a sudden, the three of them shrank- right back into their child sizes!

"What the-" Dusk began. "I thought those Rainbow Faces had fixed the stone."

"Me too. However, it seems that not everything about us changed back. We still have our original colors and both of our powers," Menta pointed out.

"Aye," Ceit said.

"Well, there goes our extra safety from beast attacks," Dusk moaned.

"Maybe not," Cera cut in. "We're still very safe because there are so many of us together. Even all those Red Dragon Tribe members didn't stand a chance against us when we worked together."

"That's a good point, Three Horn," Dusk had to admit. Then continuing to address Cera, he said, "Now, about traveling, shall we have Ali fuse with you and have you make the Flyer enormous again so he can carry us all?"

"Sounds good to me," Cera answered.

"Cera, Fuse!" Ali called out.

She then drifted into Cera who said, "Grow," while looking at Petrie.

Everyone piled onto the Flyer, Menta focused and said which way to go, then Petrie took the skies in hot pursuit of their Long Neck friend.

**Character Bio Number One**

Name: Littlefoot

Species: Long Neck

Gender: Male

Personality: Cheerful, optimistic, and leaderly

Powers given in part one: Darkness- Powerful black magic that tortures as well as injures, increases physical performance, and creates deadly, sharp claws.

Light- Master of healing and cleansing with defensive powers.

Powers given in part two: Fire- Manipulates the forces of fire and heat to smite foes.

Water- Creatures aqua-based attacks with some non-damaging abilities.


	3. Chapter II

**Chapter II: Whispers of the Heart After a Dangerous Fall**

In which one group becomes two, followed by a new ally.

"What is he, father?"

"I- I'm not sure. I've never seen a beast of this kind before." With that, the boy's father leaned down and poked the sleeper slightly.

"Dad!" the boy hissed. "If you wake him up and he's mean, he might hurt us."

"Don't worry. If there is a problem, I'll just lay a Slumber Trap and we can get away. I'm just really curious about this creature. I wonder if he's the type that can talk."

Finally, the voices awakened the boy sleeping on the ground. He looked up at the two Rainbow Faces and yawned. Then he slowly got to his feet.

"Uh, hello there," the father began. "Can you speak?"

"Hello yourself," the boy answered politely.

"Ah, so you _can_ talk. I'm glad. What type of beast are you? I've never seen one like you before."

"I could tell you, but there'd be no point. Creatures can only remember things if their heads are attached to their bodies."

"Um, pardon?" the father asked, very confused.

It happened in an instant. The child and his father didn't even have a chance to react before their heads plopped onto the ground and blood spurted from their necks. Littlefoot retracted his claws and licked the blood off of his feet menacingly.

"No one, and I mean no one, wakes me up from a nap and gets away with it." Then he yawned again and took off to find more prey to kill.

xxxxx

Menta shivered atop Petrie.

"Did Littlefoot kill again?" Dusk asked her.

"Yes…" Menta said quietly.

"Can't you fly any faster, Petrie?" Cera inquired. "The longer we wake, the more creatures he'll kill."

"Me sorry. It's just, carrying so many is really tiring."

"Let's take a break," Dusk suggested.

"No!" Chomper exclaimed. "We have to find Littlefoot as quickly as possible."

"Chomper, don't let the condition of one friend blind you from the condition of another. Your Flyer friend here is exhausted. If he goes on too much longer, he may even get hurt," Dusk reasoned.

Chomper lowered his head. "Well, alright."

Petrie started to descend and landed on a high cliff that had a waterfall cascading down it. It flowed into a river that split off into three directions. Everyone got off of Petrie, minus Agu.

"Uh, could someone help me get down please? My foot…" Agu trailed off.

"When are you going to fix his injury?" Dusk whispered to Menta before coming over to help Agu down.

"Huh? Oh. Uh oh…"

Having set Agu down, he replied, "Don't tell me it's too late now."

"Oh dear. I'm so sorry. I completely forgot about it and now, too much time has passed. I can't heal him."

Dusk sighed. Having an injured member is going to be a burden. He walked over to a small bunch of trees and broke off a low-hanging. He brought it over to Agu, handing it to him and say, "Use this to help you walk."

"Thanks," he replied as he took it.

"I suggest we all get some food. There's a decent number of trees here," Dusk told them all.

Coaley walked over to one of the trees and reached up as high as she could go to reach some succulent-looking leaves. Try as she might though, they were beyond her reach.

"Here," Chomper told her. He clenched one of hands into a fist and hit the tree hard. Nearly every leaf on it broke off and tumbled to the ground. Before eating any, she smiled and kissed him on the cheek, causing him to blush. Cera looked at the two Sharpteeth with jealousy. She wanted to spend time like that with Ace. She quickly turned away from them and started munching on some grass. Menta noticed Cera's behavior and did a little looking in her head. Then she came over to her.

"I'm sorry about what happened with Ace," Menta told her.

"Whatever."

"I believe that every dinosaur will end up being with the right one for him or her. Things should turn out like they're supposed to. I'm sure you'll end up with the right Three Horn when the time comes."

"Thanks," Cera replied, but she didn't feel better at all. She didn't care about the future right now. She just missed Ace above all else.

"Sure, dear."

When Coaley was full, she decided to take a little bath. It was hot out, making the water all the more inviting. She walked into the river that poured down over the cliff. Chomper wanted to take a bath with her, but he was worried that she would find that desire weird, so he said nothing and merely glanced in her direction from time to time.

Dusk looked around at everyone and noticed that no one was eating anymore. Everyone must be full. He was just about to suggest they return to the skies when the ground interrupted his thoughts. It suddenly started to shake violently and all the land-walkers lost their balance and fell to the ground. Coaley was jerked around in the river, and she started to be swept down towards the edge. Agu was closest to her and jumped in, but he forgot about his foot injury and started to be washed down as well. Coaley and Agu screamed, and Chomper sped towards them at a great speed. He grabbed Coaley's hand then Agu's, but the earthquake become more violent, and Chomper couldn't keep his balance and hang onto two Sharpteeth at once. He too fell down, and the current swept them all over the edge and down the waterfall.

"Chomper!" Ruby screamed.

The quake finally subsided, and everyone ran over to the water's edge. They saw no one.

"Menta, quick, use Mind Seek to see if they're alright!" Dusk told her.

"I can't. I'm sorry, my lord. Mind Seek can be used on the same target over and over again with no cool down, but to acquire a new target, I must have not used it at all for a period of time- a switching cool down, if you will. It'll be a while yet before I can seek out someone besides Littlefoot."

Ruby started to cry, and Ducky came over and hugged her leg.

"I wouldn't worry, guys," Cera told them, and they all looked at her. "Those three are tough Sharpteeth. I don't believe for an instant that they'd be finished off so easily. I'm sure we'll find them and that they'll be safe."

"I hope you're right," Dusk said. "Let's have your Flyer friend carry us down to see if they're at the bottom."

"Grow," Cera said, and everyone got on Petrie as he took them to the bottom of the waterfall.

They all looked around but saw no one.

"They must have been swept down one of these rivers," Dusk said, looking at the three different directions the water started to go.

"Let's all split up, some of us following each one," Ruby told them. "If they made it, one of the groups will them."

"No," Cera said. Everyone looked at her. "We are on a mission to save Littlefoot. Every moment we waste is another chance he has to kill someone. Those three, as I mentioned before, are tough. They can handle themselves; I have faith in them. So we must continue what we were doing and believe that they'll meet back up with us eventually."

"She has a point, ma lord," Ceit added.

Dusk was silent for a while, but finally said, "Very well. We'll continue our quest and hope they can find us later."

"No no no!" Ruby screamed. "If we are doing anything, the thing we are doing is finding Chomper. I won't leave him."

Dusk motioned for Ceit to follow him, and the two of them started talking out of hearing range.

"Ceit, I want you to alter that Fast Runner's memory. Make her forget all about Chomper for now."

"Aye, ma lord." Ceit turned to the disgruntled Ruby and in a matter of moments, she was calm.

"Are we all ready to move on now?" Dusk asked them all.

"I am ready to go, ready to go I am," Ruby replied.

"But Ruby, didn't you say you won't leave Chomper?" Ducky asked her.

"Chomper? Who's that?" she asked her.

Then the reason Dusk pulled Ceit aside became clear to the others.

"Uh, it is nothing, nope nope nope," Ducky finished.

Cera then made Petrie grow, and everyone piled on to resume the search.

xxxxx

A barrage of coughs filled the air. Chomper's eyes opened suddenly, and he gazed at his surroundings. He was lying on a shore of sand and he quickly spotted another body; it was Agu's. Chomper got up quickly and rushed over to see if he was alright. He shook him a few times, and he too awoke with loud coughing.

"Where are we?" Agu asked.

"We fell down that waterfall, remember?"

"Oh. Right."

Chomper's head started jerking this way and that, and Agu looked at him curiously.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to see if Coaley landed here like the rest of us."

"Oh," was Agu's reply as he also began to glance around.

When Chomper spotted her, his heart sank. She was lying partly on the shore, and her head was sticking out into the water, but her face was submerged. Chomper got to his feet so quickly that he nearly fell over and rushed to get her nose out so she could breath- provided he wasn't too late. After he pulled her out, he held her limp body in his arms. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he closed his eyes, but he felt something that jerked them back open and stopped his tears- a heartbeat. He set her down gently and tried to remember what his parents had taught him to do when someone stops breathing. He looked down, gazing at her peaceful expression, covered her nostrils, and pressed his lips to hers.

"Ugh! Why are you kissing her!" Agu asked in surprise.

Chomper ignored him. He blew deep breaths into her mouth in short intervals, occasionally stopping to breath himself. Nothing happened. Chomper did this for a few more seconds and started crying again when nothing he did seemed to work. In desperation, he blew into her one once more, this time with much more force than before. Like a tiny explosion, water burst from Coaley's mouth and she started gasping for air. Chomper smiled deeply and his tears continued, only this time from joy. Finally, Coaley opened her eyes.

She looked up at him warmly, smiling back at him and asked, "Hey there. Have we met before?"

Chomper shook his head, trying to suppress laughter. Then he held her close in a tight embrace. The young Sharptooth didn't have to explain to her that he saved her life. Coaley had already picked up on that. Unfortunately, Agu just had to spoil the mood.

"Wow! Is one of your powers the kiss of life or something? That was gross, but it sure did the trick," Agu commented.

"Aw," Coaley whined playfully. "Our first serious kiss and I missed it."

Chomper finally turned very red and cleared his throat.

"We'd better get back to the others. Coaley, would you please Warp us back to the top of that waterfall?" Then Chomper sighed, not wanting to reply to Agu but feeling obligated. "No, I don't have a magic kiss. That's just something my parents taught me."

"Oh. Well, glad to have someone around that knows something so useful, disgusting as it is."

"Warping now," Coaley announced. "Okay, Warp!" The three kids suddenly returned to the peek of the waterfall. However, who they saw there made their hearts sink. They saw no one; the place was deserted.

"Did they actually move on without us!" Agu wondered in disbelief.

"Looks like it," Chomper replied. "I can't say I really blame them though. Littlefoot is on a killing spree, so needs to be stopped as soon as possible. They must have just decided to tend to their biggest priority."

"Well, that stinks. How are we supposed to find them?" Agu wanted to know.

"I- I'm not sure. I can't track them with my sniffer, because I'm sure they're still using Petrie to fly around." All three of the kids hung their heads. They had no idea what to do. Suddenly, a voice could be heard.

"I'll lead you to your friend, master."

Chomper glanced up abruptly. "Who said that?"

"Are you okay, Chomper?" Coaley asked, concerned. "No one said anything."

"But, I'm almost certain that I heard a voice."

"I think you're just tired from your magic kiss," Agu teased.

"It was not a-"

"I mean, you could stand here arguing with that little boy, or, you could accept my offer and let me lead you to the Long Neck, master."

"There!" Chomper exclaimed. "You guys must've heard that."

Coaley and Agu exchanged glances. Chomper then sighed. Maybe he really was hearing things from being tired.

"No, no, don't worry. You aren't imagining the voice. They just can't hear it because it's coming from inside you. Now, before you answer out loud again, wait. They'll just think you're crazy. Just think. I can hear your thoughts loud and clear, master."

"So who are you? How did you get inside me? And why do you keep calling me 'master'?" Chomper thought to himself.

"How did I get inside you? Hee hee hee. You'd be dead if I wasn't here. I'm your heart, master. And being inside _your_ body makes you my master."

"What! How are you talking to me?"

"You have a strong heart, Chomper. They normally can only whisper through emotions, but thanks to the magic of this world and the purity of yours, I am finally able to speak to you directly. Plus, thanks to the strong bond you have with Littlefoot, I am able to sense where he is and therefore lead you all to him."

"What do you think he's doing?" Agu whispered to Coaley. "He's just standing there, staring off into space like he's in a trance or something."

"I don't know. I just hope he's okay."

"Should I tell my friends about you?" Chomper asked, continuing his internal conversation.

"They'd surely think you're crazy. Better not. Just let me guide you, like I always have, and try not to accidentally answer me out loud, master."

"You got it," Chomper said, then he cringed as his friends gave him an odd look. He just did exactly what his heart had warned him not to do. "Sorry, sorry!" he quickly thought. "I'm just really not used to this mind chatting thing."

He then heard his heart chuckling. "Don't worry, master. It will take some time to get used to, but I'll prove to be a valuable asset, I promise."

"Sounds good," Chomper thought. He turned to Agu and Coaley and said, "Sorry about this. I'm just a little tired, so I'm not thinking as clearly as I could be."

"He managed to remove their suspicions and not lie in the process. My master is noble in every way," his heart thought to itself cheerfully. "Now, let's see how he handles my ability to guide.

"Okay, I don't know how to find Dusk and the others, but I have the ability to track Littlefoot. You see, I have a special power that allows me to find those I have a strong bond with. And, since the others are following Littlefoot too, we'll all bump into each other eventually. Well, as Dusk would say, let's move out."

"Nicely done, master," his heart said.

"Thank you," he thought back.

**Character Bio Number Two**

Name: Cera

Species: Three Horn

Gender: Female

Personality: Short-tempered, headstrong, and aggressive

Power given in part one: Plant Manipulation- The ability to take control of nearby foliage, making them move and altering them to fit battle needs.

Power given in part two: Growth Distortion- The power to alter the size of things as long as eye contact with the target is sustained.


	4. Chapter III

**Chapter III: Annihilation Before Familiar Faces**

In which there is a large massacre, followed by old friends.

"It's getting dark, ma lord."

"Really? Really, Ceit? It's getting dark? I appreciate you informing me of this. I never would have guessed," Dusk replied.

"I- I'm sorry, ma lord."

Dusk let loose a large sigh. "No, old friend. I am sorry. I'm just worried about Coaley and the others."

Ceit flew over and landed on Dusk's shoulder. "Aye. I understand. I'm worried about them too. But as I was starting to say, I think it's getting time to find a place to rest for the night."

Dusk looked back at his tired sister and the children. "I must agree with you. I'm still heading in the correct direction, right Menta?"

"Hm?"

"I asked if I am still going the right way."

"Oh. Yes, yes you are. Sorry, I'm just a little groggy."

"Don't worry. I'm getting worn out as well. Now, this open field might be dangerous though. Let's just go a little farther." Dusk's caution paid off. After just a few more minutes of walking, they arrived at a village, one much larger than the one Littlefoot had attacked. Seeing a few Rainbow Faces moving about, Dusk paused in confusion. "You're sure we're still moving closer to Littlefoot?"

"Yes. Why do you doubt it?"

"I'm just curious why Littlefoot didn't attack these Rainbow Faces on his way by."

"That is odd, it is, it is," Ducky chimed in.

Finally, one of the Rainbow Faces spotted them and waved. The group of dinosaurs came forward as more Rainbow Faces gathered to greet them.

"Welcome, friends," one of them said. "You must be the other-worlders his majesty is taking care of."

"You mean Rey?" Petrie asked, having never heard of a majesty before.

"Indeed. Now, what brings you to these parts?" the female Rainbow Face continued.

Dusk took a step closer. "We are looking for a friend of ours. He looks like her," he told her, pointing at Ali.

The Rainbow Face, clearly the leader of the village, narrowed her eyes in a frown.

"We saw someone that resembles her earlier today. If you are really his friends, you'd best explain his intentions. The psychic of this village sensed a murderous intent approaching, so our illusionist made this village seem deserted until he passed on by. There was no denying the bloodlust in his mind. What exactly is going on?"

Now Menta stepped forward and was about to explain to save Dusk the trouble when he held out his hand in front of her, causing her to stop.

"We are very tired. I'll tell you our story, but a bit of hospitality on your part would be nice first," Dusk suggested.

"Very well. Follow me. I'll make you all some tea and gather some chairs around a fire in our guest house. Please wait momentarily while the preparations are made. They won't take long."

"Fair enough. We shall wait. Thank you for your kindness," Dusk told her politely. She nodded in response.

Around four minutes later, a younger Rainbow Face ran over and raised a thumb at the leader. She nodded back to him then motioned for the others to follow. They all walked up a tiny flight of stairs to the porch and entered the large building. There were nice chairs arranged around a fireplace. At first, Ruby wondered why there were nine seats since there were only eight of them, but then she recalled that that Rainbow Face wanted to hear their story. Another Rainbow Face, a female, but younger than the leader, entered with a large tray of cups, setting one in front of each of the dinosaurs.

"Drink up," the leader instructed. "You've been out in the cold a while now, but this tea will warm your bodies right up."

All of them lifted their glasses, minus Ceit and Petrie; it was too big for them, so he bent over to lap it up. At first, all of them wanted to spit the stuff out. It tasted terrible. However, they wanted to be polite to their host so swallowed with great effort. Nonetheless, she noticed their expressions and gave a light laugh.

"I take it that none of you have had tea before. It can take a little while to get used to, but it's very healthy. If you don't finish you tea, I won't be offended. Now, I held up my part of the bargain. Now it's time for one of you to hold up yours."

"Agreed," Dusk replied, sitting forward in his chair. "It all started on our home world…"

xxxxx

"What have we here?" a long figure wondered aloud. "Hello? Anyone here?"

A female Red Dragon emerged from one of the caves, holding an infant in her arms.

"Well hello there, hun. Aren't you a cutie. What can I do for ya?" she asked him sweetly.

"Are there more of your kind around here?"

"Yes, but all that is left is female adults and children. Our male grown-ups were all wiped out after a raid several months ago." She ended her sentence in a low tone with a clear hint of sadness.

"Aw. I am so sorry to hear that. I hope you all are doing well without them."

"Thanks, hun. We do miss our mates, but we've learned to get along on our own. We aren't worried because we have plenty of male children who will grow up into fine adults."

"Oh, I don't think they will…"

"What do ya mean, hun? Is there something bad coming that we don't know about?" She was clearly shaken by his foretelling.

"You could say that," the figure replied. "I think it best that you call out all of your friends and family, the whole clan. What is to come, they should all know at once."

"Sure thing, hun. I'll go get everyone."

In a matter of moments, every dragon of the Red Dragon Tribe in the area was gathered around the traveler.

"Members of the Red Dragon Tribe," he began, "I bear ill news. Not one of you will be left standing by the time the bright circle resumes its place in the sky."

All of them started murmuring to themselves in a panic.

"What's coming, hun? Surely if we all work together, we can make it through," the dragon from before said.

"I am afraid," he continued, "that even if you all fight together, there is no hope for you. Everyone who lives here is going to die without a doubt."

"Stop being so mysterious!" another female adult shouted. "You can't see the future. Just warn us of what is to come, and we'll see if we can make it through or not."

"Very well. What is to come, you ask? What is to be the harbinger of your doom?" Littlefoot extended his sharp claws. "Why, I am, of course. Raw!" he shouted.

The sky grew dark and deep black clouds quickly materialized overhead. The dragons started to run away in a panic. Then suddenly, black lightning started streaking down from the sky, hitting dragon after dragon. None of them sustained any damage, but they screamed in pain nonetheless.

"Don't worry. My Lightning of Torment can't cause any injuries. However, the pain it instills throughout your bodies will make you wish you were dead. Now howl in agony before me! Watching you suffer brings me great pleasure. When I grow bored of your squirming, I'll finish the job."

Mere seconds passed.

"Okay, now I'm bored."

Littlefoot leapt at one of the mothers, claws out, and his front legs pierced her all the way through her breast. They got stuck as he tried pulling them out, but with a hard yank, both his legs and her heart emerged with a splash of blood. As his victim plopped dead on the ground, he wiped the blood out of his eyes with one of his feet. Then from behind him, a young Red Dragon came forward and took a deep breath. Littlefoot quickly turned and gave him a deathly glare. Fear struck the child's heart, and his flame attack came to a stop before it even started. Littlefoot smiled and walked up to him slowly. He made a tiny slit on the front of his throat. He fell to his knees, struggling to breath as blood filled his lungs.

"Don't worry. A cut that small will let you die slowly, and best of all, you'll suffer a great deal as you suffocate. Well, I suppose that that's better for me than it is for you." Then he burst out into a maniacal laugh.

Just then, a large rock clonked him on the head. He turned around slowly to find another child, a girl.

"I'm terribly sorry. I'm afraid that the only good that did you was making me angry. But I'm a forgiving guy. I'll keep you from suffering."

He dashed forward to slice off her head when he recoiled back as a burst of flames blasted towards him. He quickly turned to see two adults, poised and ready to blast him again. As they took in breath for another attack, bolts of Littlefoot's lightning struck them, and they fell to their knees in agony. Littlefoot chuckled with glee at their misery. When he wanted to see more, he rushed at them, slashing into their stomachs. They both threw up as their innards spilled out.

"Momma!" the child who had thrown a rock at Littlefoot cried out.

Tears filled her eyes so that she couldn't see. That was actually fortunate, though. She never felt fear, because she never saw Littlefoot coming. In moments, her head lay on the ground and it rolled slightly before coming to a stop at Littlefoot's feet. Having started to get bored again, he rushed all around, killing the dragons quickly. Their pain was beginning to get old. Finally, only the mother who had first greeted him and her baby were left in the area. Having been hit by Littlefoot's Lightning of Torment, she was on her back, clutching her baby tightly. Littlefot grinned. He had just thought of the grand finale of torturing this group of beasts. He snatched the baby away with his teeth.

"Nooo! Stop! Give him back to me! Please, he's all I have left. I- I'm begging you. I'll do anything. Just- please…"

Littlefoot then set the baby down and stepped back. His mother's face showed a glint of hope as she got on her stomach and dragged herself over to pick him up and get away. Then Littlefoot spoke up.

"Ah, fighting is a thing of beauty, one I believe to have mastered. Crushing hopes and taking all someone has left in one go is a masterpiece." Littlefoot stepped forward, lifted his front leg, and brought it down hard on the baby's head. His brain spilled out as his mother screamed in the most horrible pain one can imagine.

"Aw, is your heart aching? You poor thing. Let me do something about that." He kicked her, turning her on her back and dug one of his feet into her chest. Pulling out his leg, he dug his face into her and pulled out her heart with his teeth. He then crushed it in his mouth in an explosion of blood.

"There. Your heart can't ache when it's destroyed." Littlefoot stopped and looked around at all the dead bodies, internal organs, and blood. Picking up the Stone of Cold Fire in his mouth from its hiding place, he smiled from ear to ear at his handiwork. He then began gathering sticks to use as mounting posts for their heads. After his work was done, he looked off into the distance and asked aloud, "Okay, world, who's next?"

xxxxx

"Oh dear," Chomper's heart began.

"What is it?" Chomper thought back.

"Your friend Littlefoot- his heart is screaming in horror. Taken over by darkness, forced to do its will, it is weeping bitterly. We need to find him as soon as possible."

"I already know that," Chomper replied. "The longer he's like this, the more damage he'll cause."

"No, master. It's worse than that. The mind controls the actions of the body. Littlefoot's heart is fighting a losing battle with it. The more he kills, the more his heart fills with anguish. When it can't contain any more grief, when its strength fails entirely, it may do the only thing to bring this mess to a halt- stop beating entirely."

Chomper froze, and Agu and Coaley looked to him curiously.

"You mean, if Littlefoot does much more- he'll die?"

"I'm sorry, master, but yes."

"Come on, guys! We can't allow Littlefoot to be like this much longer!" With that, Chomper burst into a run. Forgetting her had super speed, he quickly left Agu and Coaley in the dust.

"Wait!" Coaley cried out.

Chomper skidded to a halt and ran back. "I'm really glad I have both super speed and strength," Chomper commented. "Okay you two, I'll carry you."

Agu was relieved. Limping with his broken foot was really getting hard with so much distance to travel. Chomper picked Coaley up first, setting her on one shoulder, then Agu on the other. He held out both of his hands to hold them as please, as his shoulders were rather small. With them well-situated, he took off like a flash.

"Okay, turn left here," his heart instructed.

Chomper veered sharply and Agu and Coaley nearly fell off.

"Careful now!" Agu complained. Chomper ignored him as he ran for several more minutes.

"Okay, turn left once more, but be careful as you pass the bushes; don't turn suddenly again. I can see everything between Littlefoot's heart and myself thanks to the magic of the stone."

Chomper was so fixated on Littlefoot that he gained selective hearing. All that mattered to him was which way Littlefoot is, so he didn't notice anything his heart said after which way to turn. Like before, he turned left very abruptly and slid on a puddle. He fell over and went skidding along the ground, still tightly clutching his passengers. His momentum was still moving him, and he could not stop. This normally wouldn't have been a big deal, but there was a complete vertical decline in the ground that dropped a great distance. Chomper couldn't stop in time, and all three of them plummeted down at a startling speed.

"Ah! Chomper, you idiot!" Agu screamed as they fell.

Coaley was so frightened that she didn't even think to use Warp.

As they neared the bottom, all was thought lost for the three Sharpteeth. Suddenly, loud screeching could be heard nearby and coming closer. Two Aerial Screechers swooped down. One grabbed Chomper in his talons, and the other grabbed Agu. Then, a third figure soaring threw the air came into view. She grabbed Coaley, and all them drifted slowly to the bottom, landing completely unharmed. Coaley got up and turned to see who had saved her. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"N- Niah!" Coaley stammered.

"Hiya, Coaley. You must be gladder than ever for saving those two babies a while back, huh?"

Dumbfounded, all Coaley could do was nod.

**Character Bio Number Three**

Name: Ducky

Species: Swimmer

Gender: Female

Personality: Gentle, kind, and caring

Power given in part one: Water Manipulation- The power to move water and freeze it into ice.

Power given in part two: Invisibility- The skill to vanish entirely from sight.


	5. Chapter IV

**Chapter IV: Restitution on a Romantic Horizon**

In which Dusk and his companions have some work to do, and a couple of others have a touching moment.

"That's quite a tale, travelers," the village leader concluded. "I'm sorry that you have to bare such a burden. Having to hunt down a possessed friend must be taking its toll on you, both physically and emotionally."

"It sure is, yes yes yes," Ducky replied quietly. Spike came over and nudged her gently.

"Well, you all get some rest now. I'll see you in the morning," the leader told them, then she took her leave.

"Why do you have to repeat yourself so much, Ducky? It's annoying," Cera said suddenly. Then she quickly covered her mouth, not realizing why she said that out loud.

"Oh yeah?" Ducky replied angrily. "Well I do not like your constant attitude, oh no no no no no."

"Yes, I despise your rudeness as well, your rudeness I really despise," Ruby cut in.

Outside the building, the leader heard the quarreling. Feeling a strong sense of guilt, but not wanting to own up to her actions, she simply strode away.

"Hmph! Well I think you saying things twice is stupid!" Cera countered.

"Ugh, will you be quiet, Cera? You just make me want to bite you sometimes. Err, sorry. I didn't mean to say that," Dusk said.

"How dare you threaten me!" Cera exclaimed.

"I didn't say that I was going to bite you. I said that I _want_ to sometimes. Big difference."

"I don't like the tone you're taking up with lord Dusk. I _will_ bite you if you don't shut up. Dusk may not threaten you, but I won't hesitate to," Menta added angrily.

"Puh. What do I care if you bite me? Your teeth are flat now."

"You think it wouldn't hurt? Care to test that theory?"

"Ooh, finally someone be mean to Cera. She had it coming looong time," Petrie chimed in, only to quickly cover his mouth.

"What was that!"

Petrie tried to change his wording the second time, but all he could say was the exact same thing he already had. Cera got in his face, and he cowered.

"You are no better than the bullies, Cera, you are not, you are not," Ducky told her, stepping between them.

"I think we should all just get some sleep now," Ceit interrupted.

"Yes," Dusk agreed.

"I want to sleep next to Petrie. I think he's cute," Ducky explained, then quickly placed a hand over her mouth.

"Eh!" Petrie said in surprise.

"Just what is going on here?" Dusk thought to himself. Everyone was acting so strangely.

"Don't think for a moment that I'm going ignore what you said to me, Ducky," Cera said angrily. "Pretty bold to ridicule someone that can take you out in a fight."

"You think you can beat me? I do not think so," Ducky retorted.

"Want to prove it?" Cera replied, gritting her teeth.

As Cera and Ducky poised for battle, the door swung open. The leader was back, carrying a tall pitcher.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I couldn't help but overhear. I suggest that everyone drinks some of this tea. It will calm your nerves and help you sleep." She seemed very nervous as she spoke, and Menta's eyes narrowed. After refilling everyone's cup, she turned and left in a hurry.

"So that's it," Menta said aloud in frustration.

"What's on your mind, Menta?" Dusk asked, sipping his tea.

"That Rainbow Face wanted to be sure we told her the truth, so she slipped a truth serum into our tea, something that makes us say exactly what's on our minds. That's why every time we talk, we speak what's really on our minds."

Cera suddenly spit out her tea.

"Wait, Cera. Let me finish. She felt guilty from the fighting she caused so gave us more tea with the antidote. We should all drink it and call it a day."

"That lousy, no good-"

"Cera, try to be reasonable," Ruby interrupted. "If strangers suddenly came to your home, having a story to tell, wouldn't you want to be sure they were telling the truth?"

"I guess so. But she should have warned us!"

"Dear, if you knew you were going to be given a truth drink, would you really have taken it?"

"Fine. I get the point."

After all the tea was gone, the dinosaurs nestled down to rest for the night. Time seemed to go by in an instant, and as the bright circle flooded through the windows, Petrie opened his eyes- only to see Ducky standing over him.

"Oh uh, hi, Ducky."

"Hello, Petrie," she replied in a chipper voice.

"So um, what you doing?"

"Staring at you, silly. I think you're cute, remember?"

"Right… Me just really want a bit more personal spa-" but he couldn't finish that sentence before Ducky kissed him- on the lips. She didn't pull away and their lips were pressed together for nearly a minute before Petrie moved away to breathe.

"Did you like that, Petrie?" Ducky asked shyly.

"Well, actually, yeah, I did!"

"Want to go again?"

"Sure!" Petrie replied with much enthusiasm as he puckered his beak and leaned forward for another kiss.

"Uh, Petrie?" Cera asked, rather disturbed. "What exactly are you doing?"

Finally, Petrie opened his eyes for real and saw that he was less than an inch away from kissing Cera.

"Ack! Me sorry! Heh heh, just having a dream, that's all. More like a nightmare… Stupid Ducky and her honesty!" he mumbled.

"Good morning, Petrie!" Ducky called over after rubbing her eyes.

Petrie released a short and abrupt, "Morning," before turning away. His face was very red.

Dusk sat up and stretched, ending with a yawn. "Alright, guys, let's just get out of here. I think we've had enough of that Rainbow Face's hospitality."

As if on cue, the leader of the village knocked on the door.

"Come in," Dusk replied.

After entering, she asked, "Did you all sleep well?"

Petrie wanted to say, "No, thanks to you," but he kept his mouth shut.

"Like a hatchling, thank you," Menta answered.

"Good. Now, I hope you are all ready to work off your debt."

"What!" Dusk asked in disbelief.

"We are a poor village. Feeding and housing guests is how we get by."

"But you didn't give us any food!" Cera replied angrily.

"I gave you all tea. Drinking, eating, same difference."

"You tricked us into drinking that serum. You don't deserve our help." Apparently, Cera was still a little upset about being deceived.

"One of you is a psychic, eh? No matter. That drug is very rare, so it'll take a lot of labor to pay it off."

"But you forced it on us without our permission! Why would we pay for that?" Dusk cut in, getting riled himself.

"I forced it on you? Did I pour the tea into your mouths? Or did you?"

The group grew silent. They couldn't argue that they had indeed drank her tea voluntarily.

"We are kind of on important business, if you recall from our story," Dusk remarked curtly. "We don't have time to stick around."

"That is a real shame," the Rainbow Face said sadly. "I was hoping to do this the easy way." Another Rainbow Face entered the scene. "That one," she said, pointing at Menta.

The newcomer to the scene closed his eyes for a moment, then he opened them.

Menta turned to her friends and said, "Okay you all, have a safe journey."

"You aren't coming, eh?" Dusk asked with a laugh.

Menta stared at him curiously. "That sounded like sarcasm."

"Well, heh heh, it was."

"So you actually thought I'd want to come?" Menta questioned him, perplexed.

"You really should use your sense of humor more often, Menta. You could use the practice," Dusk said while chuckling further.

"You're weird." Turning to the village leader, Menta asked, "Okay, Dylee, what would you like me doing today?"

"Why don't you go weed the garden, okay?"

"Sure thing." As Menta left the building, Dusk tromped over to Dylee and got in her face.

"What- did you do- to my sister? Whatever harm you've caused her will be dealt ten fold to you by my hands," he growled.

"Tsk, tsk. Such a temper. All I did was have my illusionist here alter her memories a bit. She thinks she's lived with us all along. Now, kindly join her in her work for a while, and her memory will be restored."

"How long?" Dusk asked through gritted teeth.

"Three days."

Dusk wanted to shout, "Three days!" but held his tongue. Suddenly, his lips tensed in a smile.

"I accept your terms. Let's go, guys." The others looked at him curiously. Dusk giving in just like that? He must be up to something…

xxxxx

Coaley finally found the words to speak.

"Those two are really the babies I rescued way back then? They're so big!"

Niah giggled. "Yep, Aerial Screechers grow very quickly. And, thanks to my upbringing, they've learned to just eat plants and are very friendly. I named one Aeri, and the other Screech 'cause of what type of beast they are. Pet 'em!"

Chomper and Coaley stepped forward at the same time, both laughing out how they movement was in sync. He petted the one on the left, and Coaley took the one on the right.

"So you saved these guys when they were babies?" Chomper asked her.

"Oh, that's right! You weren't there. Yeah, some of my friends killed their mother, thinking she had killed me, so I took these two to safety, and Niah brought them up." The one Coaley was petting raised his head and licked her the cheek. "You're right about them being friendly," she said with a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, really touching. Can we go now?" Agu pressed. He clearly wasn't one for cute moments.

One of the Aerial Screechers squawked at Agu, causing him to flinch

"Okay, okay! They can keep petting you for a while. Sheesh."

The rest of them laughed.

"Not to ruin the moment, master, but Agu has the right idea. Littlefoot is killing all the time. Time we waste is lives we waste," Chomper's heart whispered to him.

"Yes, that's true." Then Chomper quickly covered his mouth. He was so focused on the beasts that he completely forget to answer his heart with his thoughts.

"What's true, Chomper?" Coaley asked him curiously.

"Err, it was nothing. Just, um, thinking out loud! Yeah, nothing strange going on here! Heh heh heh…"

If his heart had hands, it would've just smacked itself on the forehead.

"Anyway, what brings you all out here? And just who is this guy? A new friend of yours?" Niah questioned Coaley.

"It's a long story. Well, the short version is that one of our friends is possessed by a dark power, and so he's going around killing others. We're tracking him down to put a stop to it. And no, hee hee, Chomper and I have a fairly long history," she finished, putting an arm around his neck and leaning on him.

"How are you tracking him?"

"I have the ability to track those I have a strong connection with."

"Cool. I never heard of that one. What's it called?"

"Huh?"

"What is the name of that power?"

"Oh. Um, it's uh, uh- Bond Tracking!"

"Smooth," his heart whispered with a laugh.

"One last question," Niah continued.

"Yes?" Chomper asked.

"How do you plan to stop this friend when you catch up to him?"

All three of the kids froze. They hadn't thought of that! Finally, Chomper clenched his teeth and fists.

"I don't know yet, but I believe with all my heart that I will save my friend no matter what!"

"Don't say that, Chomper," Coaley cut in.

"Eh?"

"You mean _we'll_ save him. You have friends by your side that are there to help. Don't try taking on this burden alone."

Chomper gave the female Sharptooth a big grin.

"I love you," he told her.

"I know," she replied with a smile. Then she walked over and kissed him on the cheek. "And that's how I feel about you."

Agu rolled his eyes.

**Character Bio Number Four**

Name: Spike

Species: Spike Tail

Gender: Male

Personality: Quiet, caring, and dedicated.

Power given in part one: Harden- The ability to make one's body harder than stone.

Power given in part two: Strength- Grants many times one's normal strength.


	6. Chapter V

**Chapter V: Planning an Escape During Dire Winds**

In which Dusk and the others try getting away, and a powerful beast threatens Chomper's group.

"There are a lot of weeds to pluck. Best get a move on," the leader instructed them. Then she stood back to watch them get started. Ducky reached down and yanked out a plant. "No! You simpleton! That's one of the vegetables. Now it's ruined. Ugh."

"You feel that she deserves to be yelled at, but she doesn't deserve to be yelled at," Ruby said in defense of her friend. "You never told us the difference between the weeds and vegetables."

"Surely weeds and vegetables grow on your world."

"Probably, but if they did, we never called them that," Ruby continued. "So, as for us knowing the difference, we don't know the difference."

The leader sighed and stepped forward.

Picking up a weed, she said, "This is what you are all to remove. Everything else stays."

"Oh, so I shouldn't have picked these?" Dusk asked, holding up several premature vegetables.

"You- you did that on purpose!" the leader sputtered in anger.

"Did I, now?" Dusk replied meekly. "It was an accident, I swear!"

The leader's eyes narrowed. "As I mentioned before, we have a psychic."

"Go on, call the guy. It'll only prove my innocence."

With a loud, "Hmph!" the leader stormed away to let the rest of them work.

"Wow, that was a surprise," Cera remarked. "Even I thought you had done that on purpose."

Dusk grinned. "I did."

Cera's mouth dropped open.

"Then why did you welcome her calling that psychic?" she pressed.

"That, my dear, is what you call a bluff. And it seems to have worked nicely."

"Nicely done, ma lord. Now I have to ask you, do you have some sneaky plan on how to get out of here?" Ceit wondered.

"'Sneaky plan'? Really, Ceit, am I that devious?"

"You can be," Ceit replied with a smirk.

Dusk chuckled.

"Fair enough. Yes, I do have a plan. I want you to enter Menta's mind and undo whatever that other illusionist did."

Ceit froze.

"I truly hope that really isn't your plan," Ceit replied.

"Eh?"

"Well, you see, a mind can't be effected by two illusionists at once. I can do nothing to her until that other guy releases his hold on her."

"Ah. That is unfortunate…"

"However…

"Yes? Go on."

"I could alter the village leader's mind so that she tells her illusionist to let Menta go."

"Brilliant!" Dusk exclaimed. "Now we just a way to get her back over here."

"Maybe we could tell her that we are done," Ducky suggested.

"No good," Dusk replied, shaking his head. "She would be able to see from there that we aren't."

"Exactly," Ducky continued. "But it does not have to be a lie. Cera can use her plant power to remove all the weeds and pile them up. Then when she sees the pile, she will come out to lead us to another job. Then Ceit can do his thing."

"Nice idea, Ducky," Cera told her, and Ducky beamed. "However, I can only move a couple plants at once. It would still take a very long time to remove them all."

"Oh, phooey. That seemed like such a good idea, too."

"Me have plan!" Petrie said suddenly. "Me summon beast that pretend to tear up garden. Then she'll have to come out to stop it."

"Go for it!" Dusk encouraged.

"Come forth, Silence Stalker!" A familiar-looking kind of beast appeared before the children. "Okay, me want you to start acting like you're destroying garden okay?"

The Silence Stalker took off like a shot- but headed into the village instead!

"Hey! Get back here!" he called after his summon. The beast jumped onto a Rainbow Face and started snapping away at him. "Ooh, why me have to end up with a disobedient one?"

"Help!" the victim called out, and the village leader rushed out to see what all the commotion was.

"Not exactly what we had in mind, but it worked. Okay, Ceit, make her think we've worked off all of our debt," Dusk instructed.

"On it, ma lord."

"Um, won't that beast hurt that Rainbow Face?" Ducky asked, concerned. Sure enough, the Silence Stalker was really tearing into him.

"Me send him back right away!" Petrie called.

"No, wait!" Dusk stopped him. "Then they'd know you made it, and we'd get into even more trouble. Let them defeat it."

"We can't just let that Rainbow Face get hurt!" Cera shouted. "Petrie may not summon him away, but we can still fight it off!" With that, Cera ran over to the tussle. The village leader was trying to pull the beast off with no luck. Suddenly, the Silence Stalker shrunk to a tiny size. Both of the Rainbow Faces turned to the voice to see Cera staring at the beast.

The Rainbow Face that had been attacked grabbed the beast in both hands and threw him a great distance away. He started to charge back, but Cera made a tree fall over, landing on him, killing him.

"Thank you. I owe you my life," the Rainbow Face told Cera.

"Aw, it was nothing," she replied.

"Did you do it?" Dusk asked Ceit.

"I'm trying, ma lord. This is harder than I thought."

"How so? You've never had a problem altering memories before."

"It's like her mind is forcing my influence out every time I go in."

The leader looked in their direction and shouted, "Get back to work!"

Dusk sighed. "I'm out of ideas. I guess we'll just have to do the work," he announced.

As the minutes ticked by, Dusk and the others had built a high weed pile. As the bright circle passed its highest point, some Rainbow Faces approached them with some things in their hands.

"Eat up. Can't have you starving," one of them said.

They each held a basket of raw vegetables and some bread and a pitcher of water with glasses. The lot of them ate and drank ravenously. No sooner had they finished when the leader was yelling at them to get back to work again. As they all got up to continue weed pulling, a band of Rainbow Faces was approaching the village. Things were about to get ugly…

xxxxx

"Ah, it's gaining on us, and it's so hard running with a hurt foot. Why won't you three just fly us away?" Agu wanted to know as they all ran, save the two Aerial Screechers who flew close to the ground behind them.

"I refused for a reason!" Niah replied. "Vortex Berserkers have long range attacks. If it shoots us from the sky, we'll plummet to our deaths."

"Why don't we just fight it?" Agu continued. "We aren't pushovers ourselves."

"No good. They are mostly immune to physical attacks and reflect magic ones."

"Mostly?" Agu wondered.

"They're basically just a magic tornado with a large eye on top. Only its eye can be harmed with any kind of assault."

Agu screeched to a halt.

"Then let's get its eye for crying out loud!"

Chomper grabbed him as he continued running away.

"Hey!"

"If Niah says we should run, we run. She knows those things a lot better than we do," Chomper told him.

"It should lose interest soon. Just keep going," Niah coaxed. After a few more moments, the raging wounds of wind started to die down, and they all looked back to see if it was still chasing them. It wasn't.

"Phew," Chomper said, setting Agu down. They all started to catch their breath, but their rest was cut short.

"Aieeeee!" a female scream suddenly came from behind them.

"There must have been someone else nearby. That beast is attacking her now! Come on!" Chomper instructed. The kids and beasts turned back the way they came to see a small Red Dragon scooting away on her rear, shooting flames at the Vortex Berserker.

"Don't shoot it!" Niah screamed, but she was too late. The flames were reflected back onto the little Red Dragon. To Niah's surprise though, the fire did her no harm.

"Red Dragons are immune to fire," Chomper explained.

"Oh yeah, forgot about that."

The beast was nearly up on her when Chomper rushed over and grabbed her. He lifted her up and carried her back to his friends. The beast howled in rage as its prey eluded it once more. A blast of air shot from its body, hitting Chomper head on, knocking him into a tree. He dropped the Red Dragon and fell on his face, unconscious.

"Okay, no more running!" Coaley declared. "That thing is gonna pay for hurting Chomper! Agu, let's do this!"

"Might as well," he replied. He focused, but nothing happened. "I can't make it feel pain!"

"Yeah, the only sense they have is sight," Niah explained.

The beast fired a swirling tornado at them.

"Negate!" Coaley shouted, and the winds died down. The beast grew even more furious and fired another one at her. She Negated that one as well, but she didn't notice that it had made another one approach her, this time from behind. She was caught in the whirlwind and was lifted off the ground, spinning in a circle.

"Coaley!" Agu shouted.

"Don't worry. That attack doesn't hurt, just takes someone out of commission for a while," Niah told him.

The Vortex Berserker turned its eye on Niah and fired several short bursts of wind right at her. One of the Aerial Screechers lifted her up while the other screeched loudly at it. "Wait!" Niah called to him, but the attack had already been launched. The screech was repelled back, hitting the flying beast directly, knocking him down.

"This couldn't possibly get any worse," Agu said aloud.

Then he heard a rustling behind him and looked back. Another Vortex Berserker was coming at them! "I have an idea!" Agu called out. He focused, and the new beast looked just like he does. Then he made the first one look like him too. Concentrating hard, he made them look as if they were taunting each other. They both came at one another and collided. There was a colossal burst of energy, and all of the kids were knocked back.

"I did it!" Agu exclaimed. "I made them collide and explode!"

"Uh, I don't think they exploded…" Niah started to say.

Agu looked up to see one Vortex Berserker. They had combined into a giant one! The winds started to pick up, and the kids and flying beasts were starting to get sucked in.

"Grab onto something!" Niah screamed.

The little dragon was holding onto Chomper with one hand and a tree with the other. The sucking force was getting stronger, and her grip on the Sharptooth was weakening. The whirlwind holding Coaley had faded, and she rushed over to help hang onto to unconscious Chomper.

The Aerial Screecher who was knocked back earlier saw the direness of the situation and knew what had to be done. He took to the air and dived for the Vortex Berserker's giant eye.

"No, don't!" Niah screamed in fear. The flying beast looked back at Niah, the loving Rainbow Face who had raised him, and a tear formed in his eye. He screeched gently while staring into her eyes. Then he turned away and flew right into its eye. He broke through the flesh of it, and there was a huge explosion. The force knocked all of them a large distance away, and everything was silent.

**Character Bio Number Five**

Name: Petrie

Species: Flyer

Gender: Male

Personality: Cowardly, kind, and paranoid

Power given in part one: Air Manipulation- The power to control and conjure the winds.

Power given in part two: Summoning- The ability to call forth a beast that (usually) obeys the summoner.


	7. Chapter VI

**Chapter VI: A Loss and a Gain After a Pointless Rescue**

In which Chomper's group changes slightly, and Dusk's group saves the day.

Dusk stood up straight, took in a deep breath, and exhaled. He was tired of bending over all day to pull some stupid weeds. Furthermore, he was parched.

"I'm going to ask for some water," he told the others. Then he took off towards the buildings. He wasn't the only one on his way there though…

Seven Rainbow Faces strolled into the village. The leader, who had seen them coming, came out to see what they wanted. Dusk was about to hail her down when he saw the newcomers and that her attention was on them. So instead, he stepped behind one of the houses to wait until she wasn't busy. All the while, he couldn't help but overhear the conversation.

"We want food, water, and all your precious stones," one them was saying to her.

The village leader chuckled.

"You have some nerve barging into my village and trying to blatantly rob us. You have legendary confidence to actually believe that you can steal from us without using any subtlety. There are more than three times as many of us as there are of you. One shout from me and you'll be overpowered in moments. You can't come close to defeating us with only seven of you."

"Heh heh," one of them began. "You seem to be under the impression that we think we can rob you with seven of us. Let me set you straight on our beliefs. We can do this the easy way, or with force, but in the case of the latter, it will only take one of us to bring you all down."

The village leader couldn't suppress her laughter.

"Judging by your response, I take it that you won't comply?"

"You are correct," she answered.

One of them quickly stepped forward and grabbed her arm. Before she could even shout, she collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. Dusk, who had been peeping out from behind a wall, suddenly drew his head back in. He didn't want those thieves to know that he was there.

"What kind of power was that?" he thought to himself. "He just touched her and she passed out. Is she dead, or…?" Dusk glanced out once more and looked at her. She wasn't breathing. She was dead alright. He crept quietly back over to his friends and told them what he had seen.

"What do we do?" Cera asked frantically.

"Can't we just run away?" Petrie wanted to know.

"No, not while Menta's memories are still altered," Dusk replied, looking back over to his sister who was still pulling weeds.

"Ma lord, if the illusionist who altered her is taken out, she will return to normal," Ceit explained.

"But we cannot just let those thieves kill everyone here, oh no no no no no," Ducky cut in.

Dusk lowered his head in thought.

"I've decided. I'm going to stay and try and stop these thieves. I can't allow pointless killing to take place when I have the power to stop it. You all are free to go," Dusk offered.

The lot of them exchanged glances.

"Dusk, we were with you then, and we are with you now," Ruby spoke for them. "We'll stop those bad guys- together."

Just then, a scream was heard from one of the buildings.

"Let's move!" Dusk ordered. "And don't let the Rainbow Face with a scar on his cheek touch you. He's the one who killed the village leader."

Rainbow Faces were piling out to see what all the commotion was about, and one of the thieves casually walked about, touching everyone. In less than a minute, everyone was dead. Dusk and the others arrived just in time to see the last villager fall.

"Too late…" Dusk muttered to himself.

"And who might you be?" one of the thieves asked them. "A rather strange-looking lot. Beasts, or those otherworlders the king brought here?"

"We're from another world," Dusk answered. "But that information will be useless to you all soon."

"Eh? And why is that?" another one of the Rainbow Faces questioned.

"Facts don't do any good to the dead," Dusk replied, barring his teeth.

"Oh ho!" one of them mocked. "The little fellow thinks he's going to kill us, does he?"

"No. We _all know _that you guys are going down. We'll avenge this village if it's the last thing we do," Cera added.

"Girl, mark my words," one of them told her. "This WILL be the last thing you'll do!"

xxxxx

"Wow…" a child interrupted.

"Hm?" his father asked.

"The power to kill someone just by touching. That has to be the strongest power of them all!"

"It is a rather frightening prospect, isn't it? However, that power isn't exactly what it seems."

"Eh! What do you mean? What is his power really doing then?"

With a twinkle in his eye, his father replied, "You'll just have to wait until I get to that part."

"Aw, dad."

"The sooner I resume, the sooner you'll learn."

"Okay, okay. Continue now then. Err, _please_ continue now then."

"Alrighty, here we go."

xxxxx

"Ugh… My head," Agu moaned.

The rest of them opened their eyes and sat up. Well, most of them. Chomper was still unconscious. The little Red Dragon kneeled beside Chomper, nudging him, trying to wake him up.

"Get away from him!" Coaley screamed, rushing over. "If he wasn't so busy trying to protect you, he'd never've gotten hurt."

The dragon plopped onto her rear and remained silent.

"Chomper, can you hear me?" Coaley tried, sitting down and putting his head on her lap. There was no reply. Coaley lowered her face to his and pressed her lips against his. Remembering what he had done for her, she tried to imitate it, blowing a sharp gust of breath into his mouth. Chomper's eyes jolted open and he started coughing and wheezing.

"Oh, Chomper, you're awake!" But he continued to choke on the air. "I am so sorry!" Coaley exclaimed. "Did I do it wrong?"

"_Cough_ that technique is for dinosaurs who have breathed in water. And you don't _cough_ just breath into them with such force," he explained, but seeing Coaley ready to tear, he quickly added, "But thank you for doing it. It certainly got me up."

Coaley dived at him, hugging him as he fell onto his back, and she lay on top of him.

"Uh, guys, this isn't the time to be acting all lovey-dovey," Agu told them.

"Aw, don't be such a wet tree star," Chomper told him.

"No, it's not because of me. Look." And with that, Agu pointed at Niah who was holding a motionless creature in her arms.

"Oh, Screech, Screech," she sobbed, rocking the dead beast in her arms.

"What happened?" Chomper asked, coming over to her and resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Screech saved us all, but it cost him. Stupid Screech!" she screamed, and her tear flow continued as strong as ever.

"He saved us?" Chomper asked her.

"Yes. This is why I told you all not to fight it. Vortex Berserkers are defeated when you take out their eye, but the explosion that follows is lethal. Screech took it head on. At least _sniff_ he didn't suffer." Then she buried her head in his feathers.

"She really needs to be comforted right now," Chomper's heart whispered to him. "I suggest you give her a big hug, master."

Chomper knelt down beside her and embraced the little Rainbow Face. Her tears dripped onto his shoulders, but he hugged her all the more tightly. They stayed like that for several minutes. Then Agu stepped forward.

"Niah," he began, "would you like me to take your pain away?"

Niah pulled away from Chomper's hold and looked at him curiously.

"How _sniff_ can you do that?"

"I am an illusionist. I can alter memories. So, I can make you forget that you ever had an Aerial Screecher named Screech."

"No," she said firmly. "But thank you anyway. I want to cherish my memories of him. The good times outweigh the pain." Wiping her eyes and standing up, she said, "We have a dinosaur to save. Let's keep moving."

Then they all heard a cough. They turned to see the little Red Dragon.

"Oh! I nearly forgot about you. You'd best go back home to your parents. Where we're going is dangerous," Chomper warned her.

"Daddy died in a big battle. Mommy was killed by a strange creature. I have no home," she said, speaking for the first time.

Chomper gulped, fearing the worst.

"I am so sorry to hear of your loss. But tell me, did this creature walk on four legs and have a long neck?"

The Red Dragon nodded. Chomper, Agu, and Coaley exchanged glances.

"How did you know that?" she questioned.

"Just call it a hunch. Better come along with us then. I'll look after you. We're trying to find a friend of ours. Just stay close to me, 'kay?" Chomper told her. "Oh, and what's your name?"

"Fiirawen."

"Nice name," he added. She blushed and turned away.

Chomper's heart then whispered to him which way to go, and so Chomper, holding Niah's hand on his left and Fiirawen on his right, continued to lead the others towards Littlefoot. Coaley glared at the three connected dinosaurs. She wanted to be the holding Chomper's hand, not them. Then she suddenly had a thought.

"If I had just used Warp to get us away from that beast, Chomper wouldn't've gotten hurt. Why didn't I think of that till now?" Coaley hung her head in guilt. Now she was glad she wasn't holding his hand; she didn't deserve it.

xxxxx

"Multi Shadow Pull!" The whole group of bandits slammed onto the ground.

One of the thieves looked up and shouted, "Multi Shadow Pull!" Dusk and his companions then hit the ground hard as well.

"Another shadow user? Or a copier?" Dusk wondered in dismay.

The first thief was back on his feet raised both hands. "Rain of Fire!" Flaming balls starting falling from the sky, and Dusk's group frantically dove around trying to avoid them. Another Rainbow Face held one of his arms out and a giant flower sprouted from the ground. When it stopped growing, long vines emerged and grabbed Spike and Ruby, squeezing them tight.

"So, he can make plants, eh? Perfect," Cera thought to herself. She focused, and the flower let her friends go and grabbed two of the Rainbow Faces.

"What are you doing!" one of them shouted.

"I don't know. It's not me, I swear!"

"Come forth, Flashing Buzzer!" Petrie called out. A small, flying insect appeared. He flew into the Rainbow Faces and stung one of them. He yelped in pain and tried swatting the little creature. Before he could lower his hand though, there was a flash of light, blinding him as the beast stung him over and over. As pain engulfed his body, he fell to his knees. The Flashing Buzzer turned to attack someone else when a fire ball incinerated him.

"Uh oh," Petrie muttered.

"He must be a summoner! Take him out; he's defenseless now!" of them called out. Two Rainbow Faces turned their attention on him, relaxing, but that was their downfall. Petrie grinned, then sent a violent gust of wind that knocked them into a building wall, dazing them.

"How can he have two powers!" one of them asked in disbelief.

"Enough of this!" one of the thieves called out. He rushed Dusk, but he slammed him to the ground.

"You won't touch me like you did those villagers," Dusk called out to him. "I saw your power in action."

"Don't underestimate our teamwork," he called back from the ground.

"Switch!" one of the bandits called out.

"No!" Dusk screamed. Dusk suddenly switched places with a blade of grass, appearing right before the deadly Rainbow Face. As he reached out to grab Dusk, another switch took place. Ceit appeared right where Dusk did, so Ceit was the one he grabbed. The Flyer fell to the ground, motionless. Dusk roared in anger, seeing his friend fall. He ran up the Rainbow Face who did it, who in turn reached out to grab Dusk. The Sharptooth quickly made an extension of his claws out of energy. He swung forward, slicing into the Rainbow Faces's wrist, severing the artery, and blood gushed out.

"Ah!" he screamed.

xxxxx

"Wait, wait. Why would Ceit switch himself with Dusk? It was like he was asking to get hurt," a young boy wondered.

"I can't be sure, as the story doesn't explain it, but my guess would be that the danger Dusk was in was so dire that Ceit barely had time to think to save him so just switched with the first thing he saw, which was Dusk himself. Were the situation not so dangerous, I believe that Ceit would have made a more logical switch of objects."

"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense. Feel free to continue any time."

"Okay."

xxxxx

Another Rainbow Faces rushed over, held up on arm, and muttered something. The wound quickly healed.

"A time controller?" Dusk wondered aloud.

"No. A pure healer, meaning there is no cool down on my healing abilities. Cut us all you want!" he replied.

Ducky, who had become Invisible, placed her hands on the ground. A burst of water shot up, and Ducky directed it onto their healer. When he was dowsed, Ducky froze the water into ice so he couldn't move.

"Brilliant!" Dusk complimented to himself.

Ruby reached over and touched the side of the building, turning into wood. She charged one of the Rainbow Faces, but he grinned. He opened his mouth and a stream of fire came out, setting her ablaze. Ducky quickly brought more water up, putting her out.

"Where is that water coming from?" one of them wondered. Finally, Ducky's Invisibility wore off. "It must have been her!" he shouted, having spotted the Swimmer. He formed a giant boulder in the air and lunged it at her. Spike quickly ran over, stood on top of her, and the rock fell on him. "Two for one!" the Rainbow Face said cheerfully. "Eh?"

The boulder suddenly lifted up and the two dinosaurs came out, unharmed from Spike's hard body. The Spike Tail then dashed into the Rainbow Face, sending him sailing through the air.

"No one hurts my sister," Spike thought to himself.

The Rainbow Face who had used a Multi Shadow Pull suddenly turned hard as well and came at Dusk.

"So, he was a copier," Dusk concluded. He quickly formed a shield with his energy and held it out. Ali was afraid that it wouldn't be enough so she fused with Dusk, and his shield grew much sturdier. The force of the impact pushed Dusk back a little, but his shield held. He then created a ball of energy and shoved it right into that Rainbow Face's mouth. The explosion blew his head off, and blood splattered all over. Dusk's group had defeated every one of the Rainbow Faces. Now only the one Dusk had first seen was able to fight.

"You will pay for killing my friend," Dusk told him in a chilling voice.

"W-wait! He's not dead! None of the villagers here are either!"

"What are you talking about? I saw them fall, and they no longer draw breath. Clearly an attempt to stall for time," Dusk said with a deathly glare.

"No no, really! My power sucks the souls out of others, storing them in my body. I'll release them now."

"No," Dusk told him. "I will." He extended his claws with energy again, and slashed into his chest, spilling out his organs and a lot of blood, and ghostly figures could be seen floating about, searching for their bodies. One by one, the Rainbow Faces got to their feet, and Ceit woke up as well.

"Welcome back, friend," Dusk told him.

Ceit grinned in response. The Rainbow Face thieves who were still alive fled the scene, and the village leader pieced together what had happened.

"We owe you our lives, travelers," she announced.

"It was nothing, really," Dusk replied. "Now if you don't mind, please release my sister and we'll be on our way." To Dusk's surprise, she laughed at him.

"You still have work to do, even more from the food you ate earlier."

Dusk's group's mouths dropped open.

"You mean to tell us," Cera began, "that even though we just saved all of your lives, you're still going to keep us here?"

"Well, we didn't ask you to save us. You did that voluntarily. Now, if we had made some kind of deal that if you save us, you can go, that would be different. But nope, you did it all on your own," she explained.

"We no could make deal because you were dead!" Petrie exclaimed.

"Too bad for you, isn't it? Now, get back to work."

Dumbfounded at the village leader's obsession with having things worked off, they returned to the garden where Menta was still pulling weeds.

"You all will have to work double time if you want to get this section done before dark," she told them all.

"Menta, if you were in your right mind, I would slap you," Dusk retorted.

**Character Bio Number Six**

Name: Chomper

Species: Sharptooth

Gender: Male

Personality: Caring, considerate, and brave

Power given in part one: Strength- Grants many times one's normal strength.

Power given in part two: Speed- Grants many times one's normal speed.

Author's note: Fiirawen is pronounced Fear uh wen.


	8. Chapter VII

**Chapter VII: Departure to a Fight to the Death**

In which Dusk and his companions set out again, and Chomper's group must die.

A little Rainbow Face was prancing through a field on the way home from school. The area and weather were simply beautiful in every way. She picked a few flowers to bring to her parents and continued merrily along. The young girl was overcome by how magnificent her surroundings were and eventually burst into song, a little tune her mother taught her recently that she made up about the very area the child was going through.

_The sun is shining brightly._

_It's such a beautiful day!_

_It's the best time that one can find,_

_To run and laugh and play!_

_The flowers are simply beautiful._

_Their fragrance is the best around._

_To roll about in a field of these-_

_No greater joy can be found._

_La la la la la._

_Na na na na na._

_The air is crisp and the sky is clear._

_The perfect kind of day is here!_

_The ground is oh so soft._

_It's a delight to the toes._

_As I skip along the dirt gaily,_

_My melody so clearly flows._

_The trees are rustling in the wind._

_The breeze is paradise to the face._

_If I could journey every day,_

_I'd be sure to pass through this place._

_La la la la la._

_Na na na na na._

_The air is crisp and the sky is clear._

_The perfect kind of day is here!_

_The clouds are a gorgeous white._

_Up above is a radiant blue._

_Just admiring the beautiful sights,_

_Gives me more than enough to do._

_I can hear the cheerful sound,_

_Of a luscious, bubbling brook._

_I can't resist a work of nature._

_I can't wait to have a look._

_La la la la la._

_Na na na na na._

_The air is-_

Several hours would pass by before any other Rainbow Faces would come this way. When they do, they'll be greeted by the sight of a child in three pieces.

"There's no better way to end a dreadful song than by a set of sharp claws," Littlefoot commented, licking the blood from them as he walked by his most recent kill.

xxxxx

"Okay, that does it! We have more than paid off our debt. I am going to march right over to that Rainbow Face and give her a piece of my mind," Dusk declared.

"Please, ma lord, think of your sister. I think it best that you remain patient," Ceit suggested.

Dusk snorted. "Yes, you're right. I'm just irritable from working my rear off under the blazing bright circle."

"We are tired too, we are, we are," Ducky chimed in. "And if we can work without complaining, I'm sure you'll be able to as well."

Dusk had to tense his face to keep from laughing. She was trying to cheer him up, but had naively insulted him. Having appreciated the thought, he said nothing but instead continued working. It wasn't long before the village leader stopped by to inspect their work.

"Very nice. Pity you don't live here. Your help would be most useful."

Dusk scowled at the thought of living with her.

"Really, living with me isn't so bad," she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"How did you-" Dusk began, but then it dawned on him. "YOU'RE the psychic of this village you've mentioned? But that means-"

"Yes, I saw in your mind that you did pick those vegetables on purpose. I just wasn't ready to reveal my power yet." Dusk turned red.

"Wait a minute!" Cera demanded. "If you can read minds, why give us that truth drink?"

"Cera's good question is a very good question," Ruby added. "Tell us."

"Reading minds is a tiring process, and it's hard to get to sleep right after exercising."

"I bet you really did read our minds and just gave us that serum to make us work for you," Dusk assumed.

"Well, I can't prove my story and you can't prove your theory, so let's just forget about it and you all get back to work. I'll have someone bring some water over-"

"NO!" Dusk shouted so loudly that there was a gust of wind. "We want nothing more from you. All your 'gifts' just result in us having more work to do."

"But you can't risk dying of thirst. I'll just have a little bit brought-" But this time, Dusk dashed over to her, grabbed her throat in one hand, and pulled her head down to his eye level.

"You're an abomination to hospitality. You give is one drop of water, one morsel of food, and I'll do much more to your neck than just pulling it down," Dusk said in a frighteningly cold voice. Having made his point, he let her go. The Rainbow Face straightened up and walked back to the houses without so much as a word.

"You tell her!" Cera cheered.

"Yeah, way to go, my lord!" Ali chimed. "That was awesome."

Dusk relaxed and sighed. "Thanks. I just hope she won't keep us here longer because of that."

They worked in silence for a while, very thirsty and hungry, but not daring to bring either of those facts up. As the bright circle started to set, a Rainbow Face snuck over to them with a bag in his hands. Standing behind a tree, he revealed the contents: some more raw vegetables and a large skin of water.

"I said, we don't want any more of your-"

"Wait," the Rainbow Face interrupted Dusk. "Our leader is unaware of my actions. Your work load won't be increased for this."

"Why are you helping us?" Dusk asked suspiciously.

"I was saved twice by you guys. That horned creature saved me from the Silence Stalker and the all of you saved me and my brethren from those thieves. Though our leader won't acknowledge it, we are in your debt, me especially, not the other way around.

Dusk's group looked away for a moment. With help like this, they dared not mention that it was Petrie's fault he was attacked in the first place.

"Besides these supplies, there isn't too much more I can do for you."

"Oh? You're going to do more for us than just this?" Dusk asked between bites.

"Yes. I am the illusionist that is altering the memories of your companion. When the moon is up, I will let her go and you all can make your escape while darkness acts as your cover."

"But sir," Ducky began, "won't the leader learn what you did?"

"Most assuredly," he replied, "but I am doing what is right, and no punishment can deprive me of the peace of mind I am going to have for doing it."

Dusk came over and patted him on the back, then resumed working as did the others.

**Late that night…**

"What am I doing out here?" Menta asked Dusk as she regained her memories of before she was affected.

"It's a long story," Dusk replied. "But I'll tell you later. We have to move, now!"

As all of them snuck out of the guest house and into the night, they tried to make their escape. They walked quietly over the dusty terrain but still kicked up a small cloud. Ducky started to sneeze, but Petrie quickly covered her mouth.

When he let go, she started to again and this time Menta said, "Stop." Ducky froze in time, and Menta stood right in front of her. As soon as she released her power, she grabbed Ducky and buried her face in her chest, entirely muffling the sound of the sneeze. They were all nearly out of the area, and they so relaxed. That is why the next thing they heard made them all jump.

"What have we here?" a familiar voice asked calmly nearby. Dusk clenched his fists and barred his teeth in anger. It was the village leader!

"We are leaving now," Dusk told her flatly. "If you try and stop us, we will defend ourselves."

"Relax," she told them. "I just came to give you this." And with that, she held out a large basket.

"Huh?" Dusk replied, taking it and looking inside. It was loaded with bread, vegetables, and two skins of water. "Thank you, but, how did you know we were going to escape?"

"That illusionist is a clever one, but no thoughts escape a psychic as experienced as me."

"I hope he doesn't get into trouble," Dusk thought to himself.

The village leader looked at Dusk and smiled. "Don't worry. He will not be punished."

"That is a relief. But, what made you change your mind about our debt?" Dusk asked her.

"I'm not too old to admit when I've been unreasonable. I've given things some thought, and well, I'm sorry. Now, safe travels to you all."

"Wait," Ceit called to her, and she stopped. "I want to know, why are you immune to illusions?" She grinned, realizing what they must have tried to do.

"I am a very experienced psychic, and as such, I've developed a strong mental defense to influence." And with that, she returned to her home.

"I actually like her, I do, I do," Ducky announced.

"Yes," Dusk agreed. "She isn't so bad after all."

Petrie was then grown by Cera, and they all piled on to continue their search for Littlefoot. As the village leader returned, she was greeted by the illusionist.

"I-"

"Don't," she told him. "You did well." Looking in the direction they went, she added, "I only wish I could see what happens with them after their next meal."

"Hm?"

"Oh, I gave their provisions a little something extra…"

"You mean you put THAT in-"

"Yep."

"Oh, you are just evil…"

xxxxx

"It's really dark now. We should find a place to rest for the night," Chomper told the others.

"Scared of the dark?" Agu teased.

"Where did you get- Look, it's just safer traveling when the bright circle is out."

"Agu, YOU'RE the one who's scared of the dark," Coaley whispered.

"Quiet!" he called, covering her mouth.

As they all stopped by a group of trees to settle down for the night, a black creature glided over to the top of one of them and looked down at the kids. He had two arms but no legs, just a ghostly body beneath his head. None of them noticed.

"I am going to get a little drink from that puddle we just passed a bit ago. Be right back," Coaley told them.

"M-kay," Chomper replied sleepily.

When Coaley had finished, she came back to cuddle beside Chomper and frowned. Niah and Fiirawen had already done so, each on a side of him, and Aeri was nestled on top of Niah. Agu saw the whole thing.

"You're welcome to sleep with-"

"Forget it," Coaley replied, voice ripe with jealousy as she took a spot by herself.

As the night dragged on, Chomper awoke from a noise. Looking over, he saw Coaley shivering and moaning from the cold. He got up at once and lay beside her. Though her trembling soon stopped, she didn't wake up, and they all fell into a deep sleep. The creature above, noticing that they were all unconscious, swooped down and looked at them closely. He created a small, black pole of energy then placed it on one corner of their sleeping area. He did this until there were four of them, creating a square around them. He stood back a ways and raised one of his hands. A cube of dark energy enveloped the kids, and he sat back and waited.

Chomper and the others suddenly looked around and saw that they were on a tall mountain.

"H-how did we get here?" Agu asked.

"I have no idea," Chomper replied. "Someone carried us here while we slept, maybe?"

Then a loud roar echoed loudly across the area. A huge Black Dragon entered the scene. Fiirawen started shaking violently.

"What is it, Fiirawen?" Chomper asked. "Do you know him?"

"I know his kind," she whispered fearfully. "Black Dragons are at odds with the red ones. My kind kills for food and occasionally for vengeance, and it finishes the job as quickly as possible. Black ones also kill for pleasure and are known for torturing their prey."

"He looks angry," Agu said.

"No," Niah replied. "He looks _hungry_. Aeri, stay back."

The Aerial Screecher huddled down obediently.

"We'll have to fight it," Chomper announced.

"Beware, master," Chomper's heart whispered.

"Hm?"

"Something's not right. I sense no heart in him."

"Odd…"

"How can we fight something that big!" Agu asked in disbelief.

"Stay back, friends. I will fight him," Fiirawen declared.

"But-"

"Relax, Chomper. You protected me, now let me return the favor." Fiirawen turned to the giant Black Dragon. She took a deep breath- then grew to an enormous size herself.

"If you could become huge, why didn't you with that Vortex Berserker?" Agu wanted to know.

"Dragons rarely grow like this if we can avoid doing so. It shortens our life spans a bit. But for you all, it's worth it."

She roared and attacked the Black Dragon, biting into his neck. He didn't seem hurt at all and whipped his tail forward, knocking her off.

"Oomph!"

"Come on, we have to help her!" Chomper called out.

Agu focused for a moment then looked up frantically.

"He's immune to my pain illusions!"

"Niah, I need your help," Chomper told her. "One of my abilities is super strength. You said earlier that you can Levitate things, right? Please get me up to that thing's face."

Niah didn't hesitate.

"On it."

The Black Dragon took a deep breath and fired black flames at Fiirawen.

"Ha! Dragons are immune to fire!" Coaley exclaimed.

However, to her surprise, Fiirawen screamed in pain and her flesh looked charred. She quickly recovered though and swung her tail along the ground, knocking him off his feet. He got up and roared, but Fiirawen blasted flames of her own, and they entered his mouth, searing his tongue. Much to her surprise though, he didn't act hurt at all. He lunged forward to bite her but suddenly was knocked back a good distance, and he slid across the ground. Fiirawen looked over to see Chomper and Niah floating nearby.

"Your face will remember my super punch for a long time!" Chomper called out. "What?" he looked incredulously as the Black Dragon got up as if he hadn't been hit at all. Then he took a deep breath and black flames came right for them. Fiirawen quickly jumped in the way and took the attack head on.

"Fiirawen!" Chomper and Niah cried in unison.

"I- I'm alright. It will take more than that to get me down," she said but groaned as she got back to her feet.

"I don't understand!" Chomper shouted. "Why are your guys' flames hurting each other?"

"Red Dragons are immune to regular fire. Black Dragons shoots flames of blazing darkness which are different, so they hurt us. However, Black Dragons are, as a result, injured by regular flames. You guys should run while you still ca-" but she was cut off when the Black Dragon head butted her hard, and she flew through the air and landed with a loud thud. He then took another deep breath. Coaley was watching from below, in a trance from terror at the giant creature.

"Coaley, snap out of it!" Agu yelled. "Stop his next attack!"

"Huh? Oh, right! Negate!"

As the Black Dragon exhaled, to his surprise, nothing came out. Fiirawen charged him, knocking him into the air. Niah Levitated Chomper above him, and Chomper punched him down hard onto the ground.

"He's done for! Nice job!" Agu cheered. Then his mouth dropped open as the Black Dragon got up like he hadn't been touched.

"Wait a minute," Niah started to say. "It all makes sense now."

"What does?" Chomper asked.

"Just watch," Niah told him, returning both him and herself to the ground. She then ran right up the Black Dragon and called out, "If you're really trying to kill us, then kill me right now. Step on me, eat me, anything!"

The beast hesitated.

"I was right!" she called to the others.

"Explain already!" Agu told her.

"In order to beat this guy, we have to kill ourselves."

**Character Bio Number Seven**

Name: Ruby

Species: Fast Runner

Gender: Female

Personality: Smart, perceptive, and caring

Power given in part one: Mimic- The skill to use any ability one has just seen used.

Power given in part two: Metamorphosis- The ability to change one's body makeup to a material that is being touched.


	9. Chapter VIII

**Chapter VIII: The Blossoming of Friendship**

In which Ceit's connection to Dusk becomes something more, and Chomper grows closer to his new ally.

Ceit was the first one to wake up. He yawned and sat up. The others were still resting peacefully, so he flew quietly over to the supplies basket and pulled out a small chunk of bread. He ate it in silence, and eventually, Dusk stirred as well.

"Good morning, Ceit."

"Ma lord."

"How are you feeling on this fine morning?"

"Just tired of being your servant after all this time. I want to be released from your service. My debt is long since been paid!" Then Ceit quickly covered his mouth. "I am truly sorry for that outburst, ma lord. I don't know what came over me."

Dusk said nothing but eyed the crumbs on Ceit's face.

"Had a snack this morning, did you?"

"Aye."

Dusk reached in and took a bite himself.

"I have no interest in letting you leave me," Dusk replied. Then he froze. "That stupid Rainbow Face!" he exclaimed, waking the others up. "She put more of that truth stuff in our food! She has one sick sense of humor…"

Ceit didn't reply. He hadn't meant to have said that, but it was true. He was tired of being Dusk's slave. Surely all this time has accounted for his life being sparred. With a burst of emotion, Ceit took off flying far away from the rest of them.

"Ceit, wait!" Dusk called after him. However, for the first time, Ceit did not comply.

"What's wrong with him?" Ali questioned after she yawned.

"He just doesn't understand how I see him," Dusk replied shaking his head. "I'm going after him. You all stay here. Oh, and don't eat any of the food. You'll regret it." With that, Dusk took off after the Flying Sharptooth.

xxxxx

"That Sharptooth is just, ooh, there's just no word to describe him! It's inconceivable how selfish he is! So he let me live when he could have eaten me. I shouldn't have to pay for it for the rest of my life! He may as well have just did me in then and there."

It was still somewhat dark, as the bright circle was still peeking over the horizon. If only it had been a bit brighter, Ceit would have seen it in time. Instead, he flew right into a large web.

"Eh!" he exclaimed, struggling in vain. Spying a flower, he said, "Switch!" but nothing happened. "Ugh, this stuff is holding me so strongly I can break free, even with my power. Help!" he called out, and he was answered by nothing but silence.

Just then, the web started to shake, and Ceit tried glancing around frantically. Unfortunately, his neck was also caught so he couldn't see what was causing it. A huge beast with twelve furry legs and three small eyes approached him, crawling along the web.

"Ugh! I can't use either of my powers if I can't see my foe. Is this the end?"

"Ceit!" a familiar voice called.

"Dusk? Dusk! Over here. I'm- I'm stuck in some- thing. I think someone is coming, too."

Dusk grimaced at the hideous-looking beast.

"Think no more. I can promise you that someone is coming. I'll handle it though. Shadow Pull!"

The giant creature was ripped from the web and came plummeting to the ground. The impact was enough to break Ceit free. Dusk started to form a ball of energy to throw when the beast fired an attack of his own. Sticky webbing stuck to Dusk fast, and it quickly covered his upper body, covering his eyes and binding his arms. He tried running, but without being able to see, he ran right into a tree and fell on his rear. He tried unsuccessfully to get to his feet before the beast bound his legs as well.

"Dusk, no!" Ceit cried as the beast approached him, mouth drooling with protruding fangs. The Ceit stopped. "Wait. This is my chance to be free of Dusk. I can't feel guilt over leaving a dead Sharptooth. Wait, no!" he quickly thought, shaking his head violently. "I won't leave him to this fate."

He quickly switched the beast's position with a nearby tree. He then immediately made Dusk look like a rock and a tree stump like Dusk. When the beast got back, he sunk his teeth into the stump, getting them stuck. As he struggled, he was overcome with great pain.

"He'll give up soon; he has too!" Ceit thought to himself, focusing harder.

The beast finally spied Ceit again and realized that he was harming him. He spit a blob of webbing at Ceit, but he dodged just in time. He fired more and more blasts, Ceit flying frantically around. Finally, one hit him and he plopped onto the ground, unable to move. Ceit thought all was lost as the beast came over to him, but sharp claws suddenly pierced the creature's head, and he fell down, dead. It looked like a stone had done it, but Ceit knew better and released his illusion.

"I cut free just in time, I see," Dusk marveled, getting to work slicing through Ceit's bonds.

"Thank you for saving me," Ceit said, but then he hung his head.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No, but I- I- I had a horrible thought. I actually considered leaving you when you were caught. But I- I just couldn't!"

"I don't blame you, Ceit, really. The way I boss you around isn't right, and it stops now."

"But I thought you had no interest in letting me leave you?"

"You flew off before I could say anymore. I have no interest in letting you go, yes. And that is because I value you as an ally, but you're more than that. You're my best friend."

"F-friend? You see me as- a friend?"

"For a long time now, I have indeed. Now come on. Let's head back to the others. That is, if _you_ would like to."

"It would be my pleasure, ma lord."

xxxxx

"I didn't see Niah hit her head. Sick, Maybe?"

"I'm not sick, Agu!" Niah exclaimed, flailing her arms in aggravation.

"So she _did_ hit her head. I'd sit down and let us handle this, if I were you."

"I didn't hit my head either! Just shut up and listen."

"Kinda busy here," Fiirawen replied, rushing the Black Dragon only to be knocked aside by his powerful claws.

"Just stop fighting and pay attention! That thing won't kill you."

Fiirawen hesitated to attack, but remained tense.

"We've been trapped in a Nightmare Barrier by a Dream Sprite. It's the only explanation for suddenly appearing here and meeting a Black Dragon who hesitates to kill."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, and you call that hesitating!" Agu asked. "He nearly killed Fiirawen."

"If that were a real Black Dragon, we'd all be dead already. He's inflicting minor wounds to seem as if he really meant to destroy us."

The Black Dragon roared and charged Fiirawen again.

"Quick, Levitate me back over so I can let him have it!" Chomper demanded.

"No. We're only dreaming, and the only way to escape a Nightmare Barrier is to die. A foe is created to act like he means to destroy, but he always holds back just enough to keep us here."

The Black Dragon reached Fiirawen and rammed her into the side of a cliff hard.

"Ugh!" she screamed in pain.

"We haven't much time," Niah said quickly. "If we stay in this realm long enough, we'll turn to stone."

"I still don't understand about this barrier thing, but if you're sure we have to die to get out of this, then I say we just have Fiirawen eat us then have her jump off the mountain."

"Good idea!" Niah responded. "Fiirawen, did you hear that?"

In reply, the Red Dragon lunged down and grabbed her friends in her mouth. She opened as wide as she could then clenched her teeth down hard. She was expecting her mouth to fill with blood, but it was strangely empty. Niah must have been right! Fiirawen shrunk back down to normal size and jumped off the cliff, as was the plan. However, the Black Dragon grabbed her and held her tightly.

In a deep, ominous voice, he said, "You will not escape so easily, young dragon."

Chomper, Niah, Coaley, Agu, and Aeri suddenly opened their eyes and sat up. They immediately saw a black square surrounding them and quickly moved out of it.

"Wait, where's Fiirawen?" Chomper asked. Looking back, he saw her still sleeping in the barrier. He quickly started to rush back inside, but Niah grabbed his arm.

"Wait, Chomper. The moment you go back in there, you'll fall asleep again. We just have to believe that Fiirawen will be able to escape on her own."

Chomper jerked his arm away.

"No. I don't care of I enter that dream again. I won't let a friend face danger alone!"

"If Chomper's going back, then I am too!" Coaley declared.

"Count me out. My foot hasn't fully healed, and I want to rest it some more."

"Aeri and I will watch over Agu. If you two are sure about this, then I wish you the best," Niah told them.

"Okay then. Come on, Coaley." And with that, the two little Sharpteeth rushed back inside the square, immediately falling back asleep.

"Ugh, let me go you overgrown brute. Ugh!"

"There is no escaping, child. The creator of this dream will have at least one statue."

"Uh, wrong!" Chomper shouted, appearing nearby.

"What he said!" Coaley chimed in.

"Foolish mortals. You could have escaped with your lives."

"My life would not be worth living if I left a friend to die. But I will live, and I'm taking my friends with me," Chomper called out defiantly.

"Beautiful words, master," his heart whispered to him.

"Thanks, and I fully intend to make good on what I say." Chomper charged at the giant beast, despite barely being tall enough to reach his ankle. He slashed into the Black Dragon's foot, but the beast merely kicked him away, though gently as not to kill him. Chomper rushed the dragon over and over and was simply battered aside like he was nothing.

"Good, good. Waste time until you turn to stone," the Black Dragon said with a chuckle.

"I have to do something!" Fiirawen thought desperately. Her giant form was on cool down, so she opened her mouth wide and bit the Black Dragon's hand hard. Her teeth sunk it, but he didn't even flinch. She then took in a deep breath of air and let loose a stream of fire, but again, her foe didn't react.

Down below, Chomper could barely move. His whole body was aching from being kicked aside so much.

"Why not enjoy your final moments of life?" the Black Dragon taunted. "No need to fight a useless battle."

Suddenly, Coaley appeared beside Chomper.

"I did it, Chomper! All ready to cast it," she informed him.

"Great work!" he complimented.

"Eh?" the Black Dragon asked.

"Warp!" Coaley called, and the four of them appeared inside the nearby mountain- into a giant pool of lava!

"No!" the Black Dragon screamed before all of them went under and melted away.

Chomper, Coaley, and Fiirawen suddenly opened their eyes and sat up. The black barrier dissipated.

"Wh- what just happened?" Fiirawen asked. Chomper and Coaley exchanged grins.

"Okay, it was like this…" Chomper began.

Flash Back

"Okay, we're back in this dream world, but how can we save her?" Chomper wondered aloud. "Wait, can't you just Warp Fiirawen away?"

"I had considered that, but since that dragon is holding her, it wouldn't help. I can Warp those near me, but if someone is in direct contact with another, they will both be Warped, whether I wanted both to or not."

Chomper contemplated for a few moments, then spied something that made his eyes widen.

"This mountain… It's just like the Smoking Mountain from the Great Valley. I see black smoke coming from over there, so there must be lava inside."

"Perfect!" Coaley exclaimed. "Just distract him for a bit. I can't Warp to a place unless I've been there myself, so I need to climb to inside."

"Go for it."

End of Flash Back

"Nice thinking," Niah marveled.

"I'm still confused about this whole situation though. Niah?" Chomper asked.

"Okay: There is a beast called a Dream Sprite. They can trap folks in a Nightmare Barrier, and if guys are in one too long, they turn to stone. There is usually a creature there to try and keep folks from dying, and being unreal, it feels no pain. The only way to escape is to die- at least, in the dream world. Dream Sprites collect statues, so for those who don't escape, they become part of a collection."

"Is there any way to get changed back?" Agu wanted to know.

"To my knowledge- no." The others shivered at the thought.

"We should find this guy and beat him up for this!" Agu declared.

"I'm sure he's long gone by now. When victims make it through, they don't waste any time on getting away. They aren't fighters."

"Oh well," Agu replied, disappointed.

"Chomper, this makes twice that you've saved me," Fiirawen said shyly.

"Aw, it was nothi-" but he was interrupted by a kiss from the young Red Dragon upon his cheek. "Oh, um, thanks."

"We'd best get moving," Coaley announced, trying to break up the moment between Chomper and this new girl. She knew Chomper loved her, but she wasn't taking any chances.

"Oh, right," Chomper agreed. As his heart told him which way to go, Coaley ran up and grabbed one of Chomper's hands. She wasn't going to let Niah and Fiirawen leave her out this time.

"Coaley?"

"Sorry, Chomper, just uh, still a little worked up from that battle," she explained, trying to hide her true reasoning. Chomper hid his suspicions.

"That girl has a very strong heart, master," Chomper's own whispered to him.

"I agree. I just hope that she can keep it under control."

**Character Bio Number Eight**

Name: Dusk

Species: Sharptooth

Gender: Male

Personality: Leaderly, caring, and short-tempered.

Power given in part one: Shadow Manipulation- The ability to control another's shadow to hurt or trap.

Power given in part two: Energy Expulsion- The power to move one's energy outside the body and turn it into many forms.


	10. Chapter IX

**Chapter IX: Pixie and Sleep Trouble**

In which Dusk's group takes a risk, and most of Chomper and company take a long nap.

"Wow, what a huge cave!" Cera exclaimed as she glanced down. However, because she took her eyes off of Petrie, he shrank back down and everyone fell to the ground. Luckily, they hadn't been very high at the time.

"Cera, being more careful is a lot better than not being more careful when we're in the air," Ruby told her, rubbing her sore rear.

"Sorry."

"Is your power leading us in the direction of that cave, Menta?" Dusk wanted to know.

"My Mind Seek is guiding me straight ahead. Littlefoot could be far past the cave by now, or he could be inside of it. The only way we'll know is by checking it out," she replied. She started to proceed but Dusk grabbed her arm.

"Wait. It's very dark in there. We don't want a repeat of what happened with that Enganar fellow."

xxxxx

"Wait, who?"

"Enganar."

"Yeah, I heard the name, dad. I just don't remember who that is."

"Not surprised. He was a very minor, forgettable character that only had a short period of focus, back in part two. He was that little creature that deceived Dusk's group, and he and his companions nearly ate them. If it wasn't for Dusk's quick thinking, they'd be goners."

"Ohhh, yeah, now I remember him. Thanks, just wanted to clear that up. Please continue."

xxxxx

"Now," Dusk continued, "to avoid getting separated…" he trailed off, reaching down and picking up a long vine that was hanging nearby.

"What you have in mind, Dusk?" Petrie asked.

"We are each to hold onto this vine. Even though we can't see, we'll be able to stay together if we just hang onto this. The Flyers can't hang on and fly at the same time, so they'll need to ride on someone."

The idea was well-received, and Petrie boarded Spike, and Ceit took a position on Dusk's shoulder.

"Okay, let's get a move on," Dusk instructed. With that, they all entered the cave.

They made their way slowly as Menta led, holding the vine in one hand and pressing the other against the wall for guidance. None of them said a word; it was completely silent, save for the gentle patter of their footsteps. Just then, Ducky hiccupped. It echoed throughout the whole cave, and Petrie was so startled that he fell off of Spike.

"Ooh, what that!" he asked frantically, glancing this way and that in the darkness. Everyone else just chuckled.

"Petrie, we have fought scary beast after beast, and yet you are afraid of a hiccup?" Ducky teased.

"Hey! It was really loud!" he argued.

Suddenly, a loud roaring tore through the air, and Petrie flew up and away as fast as he could go.

"Now we REALLY in trouble!" Petrie thought in terror.

"My lord, you big meanie," Menta said.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Dusk replied with a chuckle. "Don't worry, Petrie. I won't do that again." There was silence. "Really, I promise. I won't roar like that while we're down here." Still, he got nothing but quietness. "Petrie?"

"Oh no!" Ducky exclaimed, putting her hands on her head. "I think he got so scared that he flew off!"

"Nice going, Dusk!" Cera growled.

"No one can take a joke around here, sheesh. Let's go back until we find him."

During the stop, however, Menta had let go of the wall. She was slightly disoriented from being unable to see, and when she reached the wall again, it was the other side. This would have been no problem if the cave only went in one direction, unfortunately…

"We seem to have been walking longer going back than we were walking going forward," Ruby pointed out.

"I hope we are not lost, oh no no no no," Ducky whimpered.

"How can we be lost?" Dusk wondered. "We came one way, and now we're going the other way."

"Unless the forward and backward ways aren't the _only_ ways," Ruby said thoughtfully. "This cave could be full of twists and turns."

"I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner," Dusk said suddenly. "Last time we were in a cave, or at least a tunnel, I just blew open a hole in the ceiling. I'll just do it again. It will give us light for the whole walk if I keep blasting away. Okay, everyone, cover your heads just in case." With that, Dusk formed a ball of energy and hurled it at the ceiling. There was a loud explosion, then- nothing. The attack didn't break through. "Ugh, I guess the cave is stronger than I thought."

"Perhaps I can be of some help, my good sir!" a voice rang out.

"Eh!" Dusk said.

"Be not alarmed, strangers! I can get you safely out of here," the voiced assured them.

"Oh no, we fell for that offer once. Not again," Dusk replied in a low tone.

"Easy now," the voice replied. "I swear on my life that my offer is genuine. Please hear me out."

"Go on."

"I'm a Blood Pixie. If you didn't know, my kind consumes blood to survive. Other than being able to fly and become Invisible, we have no fighting prowess. Even if I attacked you in the dark here (as my kind can see without light) you all would still overpower me. Now, we only like the blood of the living. After someone dies, the blood totally loses its freshness. Here's the deal: I will ask you a riddle. If you answer correctly in a certain amount of time, I will lead you through this tunnel, as there are only two exits. If you answer incorrectly, I get to dine on all the blood of one of you."

"First of all, we are in this cave to try and find someone, and-"

"Whoa there!" the Blood Pixie interrupted Dusk. "I can help there. The only ones in this cave besides my kind are the members of this group. My brethren and I keep a close watch on the openings, and only you all have come in. Therefore, the only reason you have to move on is to get out."

"Okay then, but the second thing is- what in the world is a riddle?" Dusk wanted to know.

"Seriously? It's just a question that usually makes you think really hard to find the answer."

"Very well, but our knowledge is limited. How do we know that you won't ask someone none us could possibly know?" Dusk continued.

"Not to worry. I'll make it a riddle of basic knowledge. Take my offer, or take your chances trying to escape on your own."

The others paused to think then began talking amongst themselves.

"Okay, we accept your challenge on one condition," Dusk announced. "If we are wrong, I am the only one you can drink the blood from, and I want you leading the others out after your meal."

"So, everyone but you gets out either way, eh? How noble of you. I have my fair share of decency. Your condition is accepted."

"No!" Menta shrieked. "Take my blood if we're wrong."

"Ceit, will you please?" Dusk asked.

Ceit knew immediately what he meant and did a little changing in Menta's mind. When he was finished, Menta had no idea that Dusk was her brother.

"Ask us this riddle now," Dusk told the beast.

"What cannot be touched but leads to touching? What can be inside you while showing up outside you at the same time? What rarely appears for one's enemies but nearly always abounds with family and friends around?"

"Wait a second!" Dusk demanded. "You said it was one question."

"It is. It's one question that has three parts. The answer to all three is the same thing, and only be examining all three parts can you reach the right answer. I will wait five minutes for a reply."

"Uh, any ideas?" Dusk asked nervously.

"I'm sorry. I haven't a clue," Ali admitted sadly.

"I am sorry as well, my lord," Menta whispered telepathically. "I have to be able to see my target to use Mind Read."

Dusk gulped. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll figure this out," Dusk replied in his thoughts.

One minute passed by in utter silence.

"This is not good, oh no, oh no," Ducky announced.

"No duh, no duh," Cera retorted.

xxxxx

"Ooh, me can't believe me get lost!" Petrie thought in frustration, flying about randomly. It wasn't long, however, before he heard voices. "Cera and others?" he wondered hopefully.

He landed and began feeling his way towards the noise.

"I love you, Kara," one of the voices said.

"And I love you, Siros," a female replied.

"Let's not waste a moment. A Blood Pixie's offspring are stillborn more than eighty percent of the time."

"Heh heh heh. That's not the only reason we shouldn't waste any time…"

"Ah yes. The experience is always worth it, whether we multiply or not. Ooh. Oh yeah…"

"Ah… Ah… Ah!"

Petrie had no idea why they were making such funny noises, but he didn't want to interrupt. He turned, and still with one wing on the cave wall, began walking back.

"Stupid noises! Why Petrie get scared so easily all the time?" he wondered in frustration. He tromped along, hoping he would bump into something. He got his wish. "Oomph! What the-"

"Petrie? Petrie! Is that you?" Ducky asked.

"Yay, me find my way back to you!" he cheered.

Ignoring the pain of being jabbed in the leg by a beak, Dusk quickly explained to Petrie what was going on.

"One minute left," the Blood Pixie informed them.

xxxxx

"Ugh, I can't believe my foot is STILL sore!" Agu complained.

"Injuries don't heal overnight," Niah informed him. "What happened, anyway?"

"That stupid Menta broke it."

"Yikes, remind me not to cross her path."

"Oh, Agu, Menta is really a very nice Sharptooth. You just annoy her all the time," Coaley explained.

Agu was about to reply when he fell into a hole. The others didn't see it in time to stop and fell in as well. Aeri, who was perched in Niah's shoulder from being tired, didn't react in time, fell of his perch, and hit the ground as well. Fiirawen quickly flapped her wings and hovered just before hitting the bottom then flew out.

"Don't worry, I'll help you guys out," Fiirawen called. To her surprise, however, they were all asleep! "Uh, guys?" There was no answer.

Just then, two Rainbow Faces emerged onto the scene.

"Woo wee! We caught ourselves a big load this time."

"You said it. These'll feed us for a long time."

"Uh oh. One of 'em didn't fall in," he realized, eyeing Fiirawen.

"What have you done to my friends!" she demanded, barring her teeth and pulling her claws out.

"Well aren't you just the cutest little dragon?" one of the commented.

"Yep, she's just adorable trying to act all tough like."

Fiirawen roared in anger and assumed her giant size. She was too upset to worry about a shortened lifespan. The Rainbow Faces were clearly terrified.

"Wake up my friends," she bellowed, "or this 'cute little dragon' is going to have herself a little snack."

One of the Rainbow Faces grabbed a stick and poked the kids and Aerial Screecher at the bottom.

"What are you-"

"Easy, dragon. A Slumber Trap is cancelled by contact. Uh oh…"

"Your 'Uh oh' better get fixed really fast," Fiirawen threatened.

"I'm a hunter type fighter, and my brother here is a fuser. He fused with me to make my traps more potent, and so it seems that contact won't work to cancel their effect. We'll just have to wait for it to wear off."

"How long will that take!" she roared.

"I uh, I don't rightly know, miss dragon. It could be days."

"Days! Isn't there another way?"

"Well, there is an old hermit who lives not too far from here. He is a healer, so he could cleanse away this magic effect."

"Lead the way," Fiirawen ordered.

"Yes ma'am."

After walking a short distance, Fiirawen picked up a scent and started sniffing fervently.

"You smell dinner?" one of the Rainbow Faces asked.

"No, I smell trouble. Be on your guard."

No sooner had she said this when they were surrounded. Several skeletons started to approach them slowly with their arms extended.

"A Necromancer Lord apparently wants to add us to his undead army," Fiirawen told them.

"Aw, we don't have to worry. With your size, you can crush them all in no time," one of the Rainbow Faces replied.

"Sorry," she told them, then shrunk back down to her original size.

"Wait! Why did you shrink?"

"Hey, I didn't do it on purpose! My giant size has a limit and cool down, you know. I can normally stay huge longer, but if I grow multiple times in a short time period, I can't stay large very long"

The skeletons were getting closer. One of the Rainbow Faces fused with the other, and the remaining one started tossing traps around.

"Eat my Explosive Traps, you undead vermin!" As some of them walked over, they exploded, and their bones scattered about.

"Yee haw!" he shouted. Then, all the bones of the blasted skeletons rose into the air and came together, reforming to the way they were to resume their assault. Fiirawen took a deep breath and blasted some of them, but in her current form, all the flames did was push them back a little.

"We need a plan here," Fiirawen announced, backing up.

"Yeah, no kidding!"

"We've go find the N L and fast!"

"N L?"

"Ugh, the Necromancer Lord!" Fiirawen replied. "Don't always like spelling things out in fights."

Three skeletons were now upon Fiirawen, and she blew flames onto her hands. They ignited, and she punched wildly, knocking the undead back and shattering their form. The Rainbow Face threw several traps at them, but they just walked over them without a problem.

"Why won't they work!" he wondered aloud.

"What kind were they?" Fiirawen asked, punching two more skeletons.

"Slumber."

"They don't have brains to fall asleep with! How did you ever reach adulthood with intelligence like that?"

"Snobby dragon…" He then laid Snare Traps all around. As the skeletons came over them, they gut stuck. "Okay, pound these guys with those flaming fists of yours!"

Fiirawen did so, but moments later, the bones came back together.

"These guys aren't very strong, but they can keep this up all day, while we on the hand will run out of energy eventually."

"Can't you become huge again?"

"I told you, it's on cool down. I'd change if I could."

Both of them were huffing sharply, and the skeletons were all nearly upon them.

"Area Restoration!" a new voice called out. A dome of light encircled them and it expanded until it passed through the entire army of skeletons, making them crumble to dust. A hideous looking creature atop a nearby tree frowned and vanished. The two of them turned sharply, and the fused Rainbow Face emerged.

"It's him!" of them shouted.

"The hermit guy?"

"Yes!" Turning to the Rainbow Face, one of them asked him, "How did you destroy them? I thought healers only had healing spells."

"So naïve," he grumbled. "Healing spells are very destructive when used on undead and spiritual foes, as white magic is the weakness to beings of darkness. Now good day." With that, he turned and walked back to his hut.

"Wait!" Fiirawen called out. "I need your help."

"I only offer my services for free one time per customer. If you want my help again, you'll have to do something for me."

Fiirawen ran over to him, looked up into his eyes, and declared, "Anything. Tell me what you want, and it's done."

The hermit Rainbow Face's lips curled into a smile.

**Character Bio Number Nine**

Name: Menta

Species: Sharptooth

Gender: Female

Personality: Dedicated, passionate, and strong-willed

Power given in part one: Psychic- Grants many mental abilities, such as moving things with mere thought, finding others by tracking their mind, and hearing thoughts.

Power given in part two: Time Manipulation- Grants the power to distort time, such as stopping it, slowing it, or reversing it.


	11. Chapter X

Author's note: The upload feature wasn't working last night, so I couldn't update on schedule. Now, I don't think it's fair to wait the typical three days for the next chapter since I missed yesterday, so the next chapter after this will only be in two days. That will keep my pattern accurate anyway.

**Chapter X: End of the Riddle Venture and Beginning of Fiirawen's Adventure**

In which Dusk's gamble reaches its end, and a little dragon begins an adventure without her friends.

"Petrie, please tell us you know the answer," Ducky pleaded. "We are stumped, we are, we are."

Petrie looked very intent in the dark cave and thought with all his might. Finally, he spoke.

"Me sorry. Petrie have no idea." The others lowered their heads. "It just hard to think about riddle after this weird conversation me ended up hearing. They said they loved each other then made these strange noises. It was creepy!"

Ruby's eyes widened. Something Petrie said made her think.

"I wonder, wonder I do…"

"What is it, Ruby?" Cera wanted to know.

"What cannot be touched but leads to touching? What can be inside you while showing up outside you at the same time? What rarely appears for one's enemies but nearly always abounds with family and friends around?" echoed in her mind. Full of determination, she opened her mouth to speak. "Love leads to touching but cannot be touched. Love is inside you but shows up outside you. Folks rarely love their enemies, but nearly always love family and friends."

"Correct," the Blood Pixie replied sadly.

"Ruby, you did it!" Cera exclaimed, relieved.

"Thanks for all the credit, but I can't take all the credit. If it wasn't for what Petrie said, I never would have thought of it." Petrie beamed in the darkness.

"As promised, I will take the lead of that vine and guide you out of here." With that, the group began making way.

"Would you be so kind as to release Menta now, Ceit?" Dusk whispered. "You could just create a memory of her calming down and us solving the riddle so she doesn't notice the gap in her thoughts."

"Would be my pleasure, ma lord."

"Just what were those strangers noises about?" Petrie wondered, still recalling those two he heard earlier. "Oh well. Maybe me learn someday."

xxxxx

"I'm with Petrie. Just what were those noises they made, daddy?"

"Err- well, they are just sounds that are made when two creatures love each other. That's really all you need to know right now, trust me." Then he suddenly thought to himself, "Ugh, why didn't I skip that part?"

"But you and mommy love each other, and I've never heard you two making those noises."

"Uh, let's just say her passion for me isn't what it used to be." The father quickly continued to read to change the subject.

xxxxx

"What is it you want me to do?"

"I want a loaf of bread."

"Don't play games with me, old timer! I'm worried about my friends. They're just sleeping, but if it goes on too long, they'll die of dehydration. What do you really want?" Fiirawen pressed.

"You didn't let me finish, impudent child. I want a loaf of bread cooked by Cocinero, the famous chef."

"Fair enough. Where is he?"

"That's the whole reason I am giving you this quest. No one has seen him in nearly a week."

"Ugh, fine. I'll see what I can find out. Tell me, where does he live, or at least, where did he live before he vanished?"

"Oh, we can answer that!" one of the two Rainbow Faces replied. "We come from the same town that he does."

"Now that that's settled, I'll be on my way," the Rainbow Face hermit announced, heading back to his cottage.

"Wait!" Fiirawen called after him. He turned and she called out, "If you don't hold up your end of the bargain- I will eat you- slowly."

He opened his mouth to speak but then closed it as he continued walking away. He was above arguing with a child, but her threat did shake him up a little.

"Lead the way," Fiirawen told the others.

"Now don't go ordering us around!"

"Yeah, you don't have authority over us!"

"My teeth say differently. I am gentle when I can be, but when my friends are in danger, you can bet I won't mess around. Now I'll say it again: Lead the way."

They looked at each other for a moment then started to head for home without so much as a word. Finally, one of the Rainbow Faces broke the silence.

"So, what's your name, kiddo?"

"It matters not."

"Whoa, whoa, someone's grouchy."

"You put my friends into a life-threatening sleep! Did you really think that I'd smile and speak sweetly to you two?"

"We were just trying to support our family. Food is pretty scarce for us, what with a storm destroying all our crops. My brother and I were just out hunting for some meat to feed our starving kin."

Fiirawen suddenly stopped walking for a moment, but then she quickly resumed walking.

"Fiirawen."

The two Rainbow Faces grinned.

"I'm Rane. My brother's name is Clowd."

Fiirawen stopped again, trying to muffle her laughter.

"We heard that! Laugh it up, go on, laugh it up."

"Just, ha ha ha, what _was_ your mother thinking?"

"We were born during a windy rain storm."

"Ah, that explains it." She could hold it back no further and burst out laughing.

"Get down!" Rane screamed, jumping onto Fiirawen and pressing her head to the ground.

A bolt of lightning barely missed them. Fiirawen quickly looked up to see another Rainbow Face, a girl, and she was angry.

"Run!" Clowd screamed, helping his brother and Fiirawen to their feet. Another lightning bolt whizzed by, nicking Rane's tail.

"Yow! Come on, move it, move it, move it!" Rane urged. He grabbed Fiirawen by the arm and dragged her along.

"Why don't we fight?" Fiirawen wondered.

"Are you crazy! Just keep moving!" Rane told her.

Lightning bolts whizzed past them over and over. Fiirawen's legs were much shorter than the Rainbow Faces, so she had to take many more steps to keep up. This really wore her out, and eventually, she lost her footing and fell flat on her face. Rane yanked her back up with his arm and kept running.

"I can't keep up!" Fiirawen huffed.

Rane looked back momentarily then quickly hoisted Fiirawen onto his back.

"Heh, you're pretty light for a dragon," he remarked as he continued to hurry away.

"Well, I am just a kid, after all."

Another lightning bolt shot by, hitting Clowd on the leg.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, falling over and skidding a small distance. When Rane stopped, he shouted, "Go on without me! Just go!"

"No way! No one gets left behind," Fiirawen declared, hopping off of Rane's back and tensing for battle.

The female Rainbow Face stopped and assumed a fighting position as well.

"Wait, stop!" Rane shouted, stepping in front of Fiirawen while facing her. "You can't fight her. I won't allow it."

"What in the world is wrong with you!" Fiirawen screamed. "This girl is trying to kill us. Why won't we fight back?"

"Because," Clowd, began, getting to his feet, "she's our sister. It seems that she went out searching for us."

"What the- She's your- Then why is- WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!" Fiirawen roared.

"Our sister isn't very happy when we return from a hunt empty-handed, and she expresses her displeasure in an- unpleasant way," Clowd explained, rubbing his sore leg.

"You lazy, good-for-nothing, halfwit, idiotic, no good brothers of mine!" she exclaimed, storming over to them. "Mother has near starved to death, and you dare head back with nothing to show for your hunt? I can't even call you two brothers of mine. You're nothing but Drain Mice crap."

"Winndia, please-" but Rane was cut short.

"Don't say another word until you have some meat, and don't you dare come back until then either!" she yelled.

The two boys hung their heads then turned in the direction they came from.

"Hey, what about taking me to your town?" Fiirawen called out to them.

"They were taking you to town?" Winndia asked her. "I'm heading back now. You can come with me."

Fiirawen was stuck in between being grateful for the offer and being terrified that this girl had nearly killed her. She finally leaned more towards being grateful.

"Th-thank you, miss."

"Ah, call me Winndia, dear."

"Okay, Winndia. So, uh, do you hate your brothers?"

The Rainbow Face paused.

"I love my dear older brothers! What could have given you that impression?"

"Uh, maybe you trying to murder them and calling them Drain Mice crap," Fiirawen thought to herself but refrained from saying. Then she asked another question. "With your powerful lightning ability, why don't you help hunt for food?"

"Alas, my family is very old fashioned. Our father passed away, and our mother insists that the boys do the hard work. But boy, I'd sure love to blast into some wild beast. Oh, the rush would be exhilarating."

The young dragon, being a bit nervous from her traveling companion's violent tendencies, asked no more questions, and the two of them walked the remainder of the way back to the town, which actually wasn't very far at all. Fiirawen's eyes widened at the size of the bustling town. There were houses and shops all over the place, and Rainbow Faces were crowding the streets.

"So, what business do you have here, dear?" Winndia asked her.

"I'm looking for information on chef Cocinero's whereabouts."

Winndia laughed lightly.

"Well, dear, you have your work cut out for you. He hasn't been seen in some time."

"Will you help me? Please?"

"Aw, I'd love to, dear, but I have a lot of work to do. If you want me for anything later, I live in the house on the southeastern corner of this town. It's the only red building within a large radius too, so you can't miss it. Ta ta for now, dear!" The Winndia quickly departed.

"Great. Oh well. I'd better start asking around."

xxxxx

"Ah, daylight. It's a most welcome sight right now," Menta said, basking in the bright warmth.

"This is where we part paths. Thank you, Blood Pixie," Dusk told the beast, waving good-bye. He waved back in return, sadly returning to the tunnel, very hungry. Ali watched him go and felt badly.

"Um, my lord?" she began.

"Hm?"

"Well, that Blood Pixie really helped us out, and well, I-"

"Spit it out, child," but he smiled playfully

"I think we should get him a meal. Saying thank you just doesn't feel enough."

Dusk was silent for a few seconds, then he sighed.

"You are right. Before we leave, let's catch him some dinner," Dusk told everyone. As if on cue, they heard a twig snap. A small, very furry, little beast with buckteeth and a very erect tail looked over after picking up a large nut. His ears twitched a few times, then his eyes widened when he saw the dinosaurs eyeing him deviously.

"Get him!" Dusk cried, and they all rushed him.

Just before they were upon him, he vanished, and they all slid along the mud and crashed into a tree.

"Ow," Dusk moaned, rubbing his head. "Okay, new plan. It would seem that we'll need our powers for this job after all."

**Character Bio Number Ten**

Name: Agu

Species: Sharptooth

Gender: Male

Personality: Whiny, playful, and easily-intimidated

Power given in part one: Cloning- The power to make copies of one's self.

Power given in part two: Illusionist- The ability to deceive the senses, create things that are fake, and alter memories.


	12. Chapter XI

Author's note: Occasionally, you will see an exclamation mark where a question mark should be. Please note that this is not an error on my part. I don't know if it's a new thing, or I just recently noticed, but when I've been uploading chapters with sentences that end with both an exclamation mark and question mark, the site is automatically cutting out the question mark. So blame the site for this issue.

**Chapter XI: Fiirawen's Adventure Part Two**

In which Fiirawen makes progress on her quest.

"Uh, excuse me, sir. Miss, may I speak to you for a moment? Hey kid, let's talk for a minute. Ugh, is this town deaf!" Fiirawen screamed in anger.

"Keep it down, dragon," a male, adult Rainbow Face called over as he walked by.

Fiirawen narrowed her eyes and frowned.

"I guess they aren't. Hm…" she paused in contemplation. "They seem to react when I get really loud…"

She quickly spotted a child and grabbed him. She flew to the top of a house and yelled, "Attention! If I don't get some help, I'm going to eat this child!"

All the Rainbow Faces nearby, young and old, stopped and looked up.

"Transport," one of them whispered.

"Okay, now that I have your attention, I was just kidding about-" but she couldn't finish that sentence, having been knocked out cold from a blow from behind.

"Someone call the guards," he called down. "Seems we have a troublemaker here."

**Nearly an hour later…**

"Ah, ugh, ow, my head," a Red Dragon moaned, sitting up in a prison cell. "What am I doing in- Wait," she suddenly said, thinking back. "No good. I have no memory of what happened to me. Hm, the walls of this room are made of wood. I could just burn right thr-" but once again, she was cut off as a nearby door opened.

An overweight Rainbow Face marched in and gave Fiirawen a good look over.

"Child or not," he began, "I don't allow threats in my town. You'll be kept here for a week, then let go. Think about what you've done as you sit in my dungeon." he turned to leave, but Fiirawen stopped him.

"Wait, sir!" she called out. "There's been a mistake."

"A mistake, eh? Did you or did you not threaten to eat a child?"

"Yes, but I started to say that I was only-"

"Enough! You've confessed to the crime. There is nothing more to discuss." He then left the dungeon and slammed the door.

"What a jerk!" Fiirawen said aloud. "He must be the governor, what with calling things his town and his dungeon. I don't have the time to waste here. I'm burning out right now."

Before she took a deep breath, the door opened again, but she didn't hear it. Right as she was about to let loose a stream of fire, a voice yelled, "Stop!" Fiirawen nearly choked on the flames and began coughing up smoke. She quickly turned to see a small Rainbow Face, a boy, looking at her.

"I have friends in trouble! I can't stay here!" Fiirawen told him.

The boy said nothing. He merely walked over to one side of the room, pulled the ring of keys off of the hook, walked over to Fiirawen cell, and unlocked the door.

"Go on, just don't get caught. I doubt I'll be able to do this twice," he told her.

Fiirawen emerged slowly, then asked, "Why would you do this for me?"

"I love dragons. They are my favorite kind of beast. I wrote a report on one in school the other day. Helping one is a great honor to me. But again, please don't be spotted. The governor would give me a major spanking that I'd never forget if he found out about this."

Fiirawen tried muffling a laugh.

"The governor punishes kids by spanking them. What a weird guy."

Now it was the boy's turn to laugh.

"He only does that to his son," he explained.

Fiirawen froze. "You're the governors son?"

"Heh heh. I read that dragons are supposed to have excellent hearing."

"Pfft. I heard you alright. That was just startling news," she replied with a grin, gently shoving his shoulder.

"Anyway, you'd best get going. I don't know what false accusation was brought against you, as a Red Dragon would never commit a crime, but this is your only chance to avoid retribution." As the boy started to leave, Fiirawen ran over and grabbed his arm.

"Wait! I was unconscious when they brought me here. I don't know my way out."

"Very well. I'll lead you. But wait here just a minute. I need to get something first." The boy left and shortly returned holding a bed sheet. He quickly threw it over the little dragon.

"Hey!"

"Easy, dragon. This is your chance to escape. I cut two little holes for you to see out of. Now just stay close."

As he started to head up the stairs out of the dungeon, Fiirawen asked, "I want to know the name of my rescuer."

"Freund. And may I know the name of my new dragon friend?"

"It's Fiirawen. I will never forget this kindness, Freund."

The Rainbow Face grinned and made his way through the large building.

A guard passed by, and Fiirawen shook a little.

"What have we here, young master? Goofing around with your friends again?"

"Yep. We're about to play ghost attack outside." Fiirawen nodded beneath the sheet.

"Have fun!"

"Whew, that was close," Fiirawen thought to herself.

They passed two more guards, and the scene was repeated over and over.

Finally, Fiirawen could see a door leading to daylight.

"Yes!" Fiirawen thought to herself. Before they reached it though, yet another Rainbow Face passed by- the governor himself.

"Now what are you up to, son?" he asked.

"Oh, just playing around like usual."

"Which friend is it this time?

"It's, uh, my girlfriend Saft."

"Don't be gone too long. You have homework due tomorrow." Then the governor continued on his way. Just when they both thought that they were home free, the governor suddenly turned to say something else. He opened his mouth to speak, then spotted the tip of a red tail sticking out from underneath the sheet. He abruptly turned and walked back over to them.

"You said this is Saft, son?"

"Yeah."

"Funny, I don't remember Saft having-" then he quickly ripped off the sheet, "a red tail."

"Father, I can explain!"

"No, I understand the situation all too well already. Get to your room, now! Guards, the dragon has escaped!"

Freund grabbed Fiirawen by the hand and rushed out the door at an incredible speed. He moved so quickly that the dragon's body fluttered in the air as he pulled her along. He went out the door and made his way to the city limits. Guards tried making chase, but they couldn't keep up and began breathing heavily as they stopped. The two of them reached the hills outside the town and finally came to a stop. Both of them were breathing hard.

"Th- _huff_ thank you _huff_."

"Don't mention _huff_ it," he replied.

"I am so sorry. Because of me, you're in trouble."

"Eh, father will get over it. I'm actually glad this happened."

"Huh? Why?"

"It'll be a while before father cools off. In the mean time, I get to hang out with my favorite beast."

Fiirawen smiled and sighed. "It won't be all fun and games. I'm on a mission."

"Ooh, do tell."

Fiirawen explained everything, starting with her friends being stuck in a deep sleep to when he showed up.

"Heh, wow, you're even luckier to have met me than I thought."

"What do you mean?"

"The great chef Cocinero cooked for my father on many occasions. More importantly, I think I was the last one to have seen him before he vanished."

"Perfect! Okay, start talking. Err, please."

"It happened really late one night. I should have been in bed, but you know how kids can be…"

Flash Back

A young boy crept down a hallway to get to the kitchen. His tiptoeing was completely inaudible. When he reached his destination, he poked his head around the corner and looked inside. What he saw quickly made him yank his head back in to the other side of the wall. Two Rainbow Faces were inside talking. One was the chef, and the other guy, the boy did not recognize.

"I am an advisor to the governor! He's not the only one who has the power to order you to cook. Now heed my command and send for me when it's done."

"I will not," Cocinero replied bluntly.

The other Rainbow Face, he was clearly a lot older, punched the chef in the face, and he crashing to the ground. The boy's heart began pounding wildly. Cocinero slowly got to his feet.

"Do you still refuse?" he asked him.

"I do, and I will now call for the guards. Assault is a serious offense, but the governor will be especially displeased that his own cook was the one hurt."

"You leave me no choice," the old Rainbow Face replied. He quickly grabbed a frying pan, then whacked the chef over the head so hard that it not only knocked him out, but left a bloody scrape across his head. The boy gasped but quickly covered his mouth. However, the noise was heard.

"What have we here? Ah, the governor's own son. Listen well, child. If you want your family's little cook unharmed, you won't tell your father or any other Rainbow Face. Promise me, as a Rainbow Face never breaks a promise."

"I- I-"

"Quit stuttering and say it."

"I promise."

Then the old Rainbow Face plopped the cook over his shoulder and left into the night.

End of Flash Back

"Wow… And you never told your father about this?"

"I couldn't. I promised not to tell a single Rainbow Face. But, heh heh, lucky for me, he said nothing about dragons."

The two kids grinned in unison.

"So then, where do we start looking for this guy? Think he's still in town?"

"No," Freund replied. "Father had many guards search for him for days, but they had no luck. I'm sure he's fled quite a distance."

"Great. To be honest, while your story was interesting, it hasn't brought me any closer to finding the cook.'

"Oh. Yes, that is true," he replied quietly.

Suddenly, they heard a rustling in some bushes. Fiirawen and Freund quickly turned as two figures burst from the foliage.

"Now we've got y- Huh!" one of them went, suddenly seeing who they were.

"Rane? Clowd?" Fiirawen asked in surprise.

"Aw. It's just that little dragon and a Rainbow Face. Back to the hunt," Rane said sadly.

"Wait!" Fiirawen called out to them.

"Hm?" Clowd asked.

"You guys are out a lot. I'm sure you see many things, both inside and outside of the town," Fiirawen said.

"Yes," Rane replied. "And?"

"Did you ever see an old Rainbow Face carrying something on his back?"

"Nope. You, Clowd?"

"Sorry, but no."

Both Fiirawen and Freund hung their heads.

"Though," Rane said thoughtfully, "I did see a Rainbow Face carrying some_one_ on his back."

"You big goof!" Fiirawen uttered. "Something, someone, same difference!"

"Did you see where they went?" Freund asked.

"It was pretty dark, so I couldn't make out much, like who they were, but they were heading to the swamp, the one not far from here."

"Do you know where that is, Freund?" Fiirawen asked.

"Sorry. I rarely leave the town. Father doesn't like me wondering off."

"Think, uh, you two could take us?" Fiirawen questioned them.

"No can do, kiddo. If we spend all our time helping you, we'll likely come back empty-handed, then Winndia will kill us fore sure." With that, the two Rainbow Faces started to head back to the trees."

"Hold it!"

They stopped and turned to her.

"If you do this for us, I'll hunt you down a whole bunch of meat. Deal?"

The brothers exchanged glances.

"Deal," they said.

**Character Bio Number Eleven**

Name: Ceit

Species: Flying Sharptooth

Gender: Male

Personality: Obedient, loyal, and hardworking

Power given in part one: Illusionist- The ability to deceive the senses, create things that are fake, and alter memories.

Power given in part two: Switcher- The power to switch the position of two objects or creatures within range.


	13. Chapter XII

**Chapter XII: Wasted Kindness, Guard Showdown, and Fiirawen's Adventure Part Three**

In which time is consumed unnecessarily, the guards catch up, and Fiirawen continues to try saving her friends.

"Shadow Pull!" The tiny beast plummeted down from atop his branch, but shortly before he hit the ground, he vanished, only to appear back on top.

"Stop!" Menta called out, and the beast froze. "Now do it, my lord."

"Shadow Pull!" once again, he started to fall. This time, he did hit the ground, cushioned by a bed of leaves. As Dusk ran to pick up, he began digging through the leaf pile fervently, only to reach the bottom with no beast in sight.

"Up there!" Petrie called, pointing to a branch on another tree.

"Grrr," Dusk muttered.

Petrie flapped his wings, and a gust of wind flew right to him, but he disappeared, and the strong winds hit the tree, knocking one of its branches off its trunk.

"Dusk, watch-" but Petrie was too late. The limb crashed onto Dusk's noggin and he fell on his back.

"My lord!" Menta cried, running to his side. Up above, the beast chuckled loudly.

"I'm fine, Menta," Dusk replied, getting back to his feet. "I just wish we had Coaley here to Negate that power of his."

"I have an idea!" Ceit said suddenly. "Ma lord, pick up a piece of grass or a flower or something."

Dusk bent over and snatched a blade of grass.

"Switch!" Ceit called out, and the beast appeared in his hands. Before Dusk could knock him out though, he merely vanished again.

"Me know!" Petrie exclaimed. "Come forth, Water Nymph!" A blue, aquatic creature took the scene. "Okay, use your Ice Hex on that, that thing!" he instructed, pointing to the little critter. She nodded, and the branch on which he stood suddenly turned blue. "Okay now, Menta, Stop him and he'll soon be turned to ice."

"Uh, Petrie… Might want to run ideas by me BEFORE you execute them. Stop has a long cool down. I can't do it for a while," Menta exclaimed.

"Oh." Petrie then dismissed the beast, and she vanished.

The beast teleported long before the Ice Hex was complete, escaping the effect completely.

"Shadow Bind!" Dusk tried, merging the creature's shadow with a branch's.

He vanished like usual, but the limb went with him, so when he appeared on another tree, he had a big stick stuck to him.

"Perfect!" Cera shouted. "Ali, Fuse with me." Ali did so, and then Cera looked up and said, "Grow!"

The branch stuck to the creature grew to more than ten times its size. He began to hurdle towards the ground at a great speed. He vanished again, but as soon as he appeared on another branch, the weight just kept pulling him down. In less than a minute of this, he was too tired to teleport anymore and gave up, letting himself slam onto the ground.

"You all wait here. I'll go find that Blood Pixie and tell him that his dinner is now ready." With that, Dusk ran back to the opening in the cave. "Hello? Hellooo?" Nearly two minutes passed as Dusk kept calling out. Finally, he heard a voice.

"Hm? Oh, it's you again. What do you need?" he asked the Sharptooth.

"My friends and I felt badly that you lost a meal and were going hungry after helping us, so we caught a beast for you feast on the blood of."

"Oh… Uh, thanks."

Dusk looked at the small creature with two big red eyes and two sets of wings closely.

"You- don't sound pleased."

"Well, while I greatly appreciate your effort, I just, well, I already found a beast to feast on a little bit ago. I'm afraid that I'm full."

"Not to worry. The beast is stuck to a giant limb. Just hang onto it for a while, and he won't be able to escape."

"Again, I apologize that you wasted your time."

"What?"

"Blood Pixies only need blood once a month. I won't need another meal for a while now, and holding onto and feeding some creature for that long is just too much trouble."

"I- see. What about your brethren?"

"They've all eaten recently as well, sorry. I really do appreciate this though."

"Yes, you've made that quite clear. Good day to you." Then Dusk turned to leave.

"You too!"

"Where's the Blood Pixie, my lord?" Menta asked. "He doesn't want us to carry this huge log all the way to that cave, does he?"

"No, he does not." Dusk then released the beast from his Shadow Bind, and he teleported away.

"I believe what I see, but I don't believe what you did!" Ruby exclaimed. "Why did you do that?"

"Let's just say that we had the most pointless victory of all time. Now let's go. I say we walk for a bit and not fly so we don't get too lazy and stiff if we run into any trouble. Menta, start tracking the Long Neck again."

"Yes, my lord. Oh!"

"What is it?" Dusk wanted to know.

"When tracking a mind, I can also sense if there are others near the target, and, well, Littlefoot isn't alone."

xxxxx

Littlefoot, Stone of Cold Fire in his mouth, smiled at his surroundings. He then released the pressure in his jaws, and the stone fell to his feet. Taking a seat, he waited expectantly for the Rainbow Faces to speak.

"Littlefoot, by order of king Rey, we, his royal guards, hereby have the order to terminate-"

The young Long Neck grew bored almost instantly and stood back up.

"Blah, blah, blah. If you're all ready to die, simply step forward and shut up."

There were four guards altogether. They eyed him for a moment, then one of them shouted, "Fuse!" He drifted into another's body, and the receiver grinned. He then tapped the other two and prepared for battle.

"Transport!" one of them called out, and they all vanished, only to reappear behind Littlefoot. One of them punched at the Long Neck who ducked. Then Littlefoot opened his mouth to fire a dark beam when one of them said, "Negate!" His attack was immediately cancelled.

The one who had punched yanked a tree from its roots as "Transport!" was called out again. Littlefoot looked around quickly, then they all appeared behind him. He swung the giant tree at the boy, but he leapt on top of it. He extended his long, razor-sharp claws, but a "Negate!" shoved them back in.

"Transport!"

This time, they appeared above him and the tree-holding Rainbow Face shoved the tree down hard. Littlefoot barely managed to dodge. He backed up, huffing.

"What were you saying about us dying?" one of them mocked.

"I admit," Littlefoot began, "that you have a clever combo going. One of you can Transport, one of you Fused with him to eliminate Transport's cool down and the need to tap everyone over and over, one of you has super strength to launch an attack when you reappear, and the other Negates my powers."

"Your quick and accurate powers of observation are impressive, but understanding our strategy won't save you. You shall fall; so has it been decreed!"

"Try as you might, YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT ME!" Littlefoot roared.

In reply, they vanished again. As the tree came crashing towards him, he sprung to the right, but as the Negater opened his mouth to cancel Littlefoot's attacked, the Long Neck gave him a deathly glare, and he hesitated. Littlefoot took the opportunity to blast the Negating Rainbow Face in the chest with a dark beam. It pierced him, and the blast came out his back. He fell to the ground, utterly defeated.

"Your advantage was your teamwork," Littlefoot scoffed as the other three rushed to their friend. "Now that your combo has been broken, you no longer have hope. Eh, what am I saying? You never stood a chance!"

Littlefoot called down a bolt of his Lightning of Torment, and it struck the one holding the tree. He screamed in pain and dropped the trunk onto his feet, putting him in even more agony. The one left standing Transported directly behind Littlefoot and managed to land a blow. However, Littlefoot didn't even flinch.

"Your strong ally would have barely fazed me with a punch. What you just did barely tickled."

With that, Littlefoot dove down, grabbed the Transporter by his tail, and started swinging him around. Instead of letting go to send him flying, Littlefoot instead completely bit off the end of his tail. The Rainbow Face flew headfirst right into a tree, blood splattering onto Littlefoot's face and neck. Some got in his eyes, temporarily blinding him. The strong Rainbow Face had recovered and used the opportunity to slam his fists into Littlefoot's nose. Blood trickled from his nostrils, but he smiled and licked it off.

"Let me tell you the ONLY thing you accomplished with that attack: YOU SEVERELY TICKED ME OFF!"

Littlefoot then extended his claws and quickly cut off his legs and arms. The puddle of blood was soaked up by the dry soil, but it left a crimson stain.

"Let's see how much YOU like bleeding."

It wasn't long before he died. As Littlefoot opened his mouth to fire a dark beam at the Transporter, "Negate!" was called out, stopping the assault.

"Ah, you're still kicking, eh?"

Littlefoot turned his back on the Negater so he wouldn't see that he was preparing another attack. Remembering the exact location of him, Littlefoot called down another dark bolt which struck him head on. The scream of torment was music to Littlefoot's ears.

"Transport!" The Rainbow Face appeard on top of Littlefoot, trying to strangle him. Littlefoot's body glowed, and he quickly hopped off in pain.

"Ah ah ah. Touching my body is a big no no. Fortunately, your pain won't last long."

In another second, his head was rolling on the ground. Littlefoot turned back to the Negater and ripped out his heart after digging his sharp claws in. Dropping the organ, he squashed it with his foot. With the Transporter dead, the Fuser drifted out and became solid again.

"Go. Tell your pathetic king that you have completely and utterly failed to stop me. If he wants to send more, tell him to try at leasr ten or more so I can at least have a little fun. Your power is only to assist another, so don't waste my time trying to attack me as well."

The Rainbow Face hurried away as fast as he could.

"Wait!" Littlefoot called out.

Terrified, the Rainbow Face stopped.

"I can't have you comfortable as you make your journey back, now can I?" Suddenly, he fired a dark beam at his leg, piercing it as blood oozed down. "Perfect. Have fun dragging your pitiful self all the way home!"

xxxxx

"Eh, there was one thing in that fight I didn't get."

"Yeah?"

"Why did that Rainbow Face hesitate just from Littlefoot glaring at him?"

"Oh, that. Looks like SOMEBODY has a fuzzy memory," his father teased. "To refresh it, it was way back in part one when Littlefoot first used it. He did it to Chomper, and the Sharptooth froze then too. It's a dark power that strikes fear into someone's heart, temporarily stunning the target."

"Oh. But I still don't remem- Oh wait. It just came to me. Now I remember that happening. Just took me a bit to recall that far back. Alrighty, feel free to continue any time."

xxxxx

Fiirawen lifted one of her feet into the air as the sludge dripped back down onto the ground.

"So… This is the swamp, eh?" she wondered aloud, despite already knowing the answer.

"You betcha, kiddo. We have now arrived at the Undead Swamp," Rane replied.

"Eh!" Freund suddenly uttered. "Why is it called that?"

"Oh," Clowd began, "it's just 'cause a lot of Necromancer Lords make their home here. As a result, one typically sees a lot of skeletons roaming about."

"I just hope that one we avoided earlier hasn't held a grudge from his army being wiped out," Fiirawen hoped.

"Even if he did, why would he hold it against us? It was that hermit who got 'em," Rane countered.

"Still, WE were his targets, and he failed to get us. That alone may have made him mad," came Fiirawen rebuttal.

"Now don't go and jinx us, Fiirawen!" Clowd exclaimed.

The young dragon sniffed the air a few more times to be certain.

"Looks like I already did."

Suddenly, several skeletons emerged from the ground. They approached the group with their arms extended.

"No problem!" Rane announced. "Little Fiirawen here can become huge and tear 'em to bits."

"Don't call me little! And I really don't want to. It shortens a dragon's life span."

"Uh, kid, if you don't grow, you aren't gonna _have_ a life span!" Clowd yelped as they got closer and closer.

Fiirawen sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Point taken."

She tensed, and then her body grew to an enormous size. She began batting the skeletons around like twigs.

"Whew hoo!" Rane cheered.

It wasn't long before the air grew silent again. However, it wasn't long before an ominous voice filled the air.

"It took me hours to find all those bones. You will pay!" Finally, the Necromancer Lord himself appeared before the group. He looked like a skeleton himself, except that his head still had flesh.

"Smash 'im!" Rane told her.

Fiirawen raised a giant arm and brought it down hard onto the beast. Instead of crumbling to pieces, he was instead merely pressed deep into the ground, so he simply hoisted himself out once she lifted her paw.

"Fool. Necromancer Lords are immune to physical attacks. Hit me all you want."

Fiirawen did just that. Panting, she finally realized that he spoke the truth. He then formed a ball in his hand, threw it on the ground, and there was a huge explosion, knocking everyone but him sailing through the air.

"Did he get himself too?" Freund wondered. But no, the Necromancer Lord was unharmed.

"My kind is also protected against dark-based attacks. You cannot win."

"Oh no?" Fiirawen taunted. "You say you're immune to physical attacks? Well, 'eat' this!" With that, she grabbed the beast in her mouth and swallowed him whole. She choked slightly, but a small beating on her throat finally got him down.

"You're awesome! I so love you!" Freund called, running over and hugging her leg.

"Aren't I, though?" Fiirawen replied with a laugh. But then she fell to her knees.

"Fiirawen? What is it?" Freund asked worriedly.

"M- my- my stomach. Oh, it- it hurts…"

No sooner had she said this when the Necromancer Lord burst from her stomach, and digestive juices spilt from her body. From such a trauma, she couldn't hold her size any longer and shrank back down.

"Fiirawen!" Rane shouted.

"It's okay," Freund reassured him. "I know all about dragons, and they have amazing self-healing properties. She's out of commission for a bit, but she'll be fine. Now it's up to US to stop this guy."

"What's your power?" Clowd asked him.

"Super speed."

"Not that great. Well, it looks like we have our work cut out for us."

"Well, what can YOU do?"

"I'm a Fuser."

The Necromancer Lord had grown weary of their chatting and began forming another ball.

"Look out!" Freund shouted.

Rane quickly formed an Explosive Trap then hurdled it at the beast. The blast knocked him back a bit, and the ball dissipated.

"My power barely fazed him!" Rane shouted. "We need a plan, and fast. This beast has to have a weakness."

"I got it!" Freund shouted. "All beasts share one weakness (save aquatic kinds). You there, Fuse with me, hurry!"

Clowd didn't argue and Fused with Freund. The young Rainbow Face ran faster than the eye can see at the Necromancer Lord.

"Kid, what are you-" Rane tried to ask him.

Freund didn't reply. There was no time to waste. When he got to the beast, he started spinning in circles around him at an incredible speed. He kept this up for over two minutes. The Necromancer Lord tried walking through, but the force of the wind generated by the running was too strong; he couldn't get out. However, trapping the beast wasn't what Freud had in mind. Sure enough, the Necromancer Lord fell to his knees, coughing violently and gasping for air. After just a few more minutes, he fell down completely and turned to dust. Fruend slowly came to a stop and began catching his breath as Clowd emerged.

"What in tarnation just happened?" Rane wanted to know.

"I merely exploited his weakness," Freund replied.

"And that is?"

Freund laughed.

"Why, the same weakness all creatures have- air. When someone can't breathe for long enough, he or she dies. By making that vortex, I sucked all the air away from him, and he couldn't get away. He finally died from going too long without breathing."

"What a smart kid," Rane marveled.

"Top of my class."

"Ugh…" They all turned to the familiar sounding groan.

"Fiirawen, are you okay now?" Freund asked.

"Yeah, for the most part. My stomach has nearly healed. It just still hurts quite a bit."

"Do you need to rest a bit more?" the little Rainbow Face asked her.

"No, I think I'm goo-"

"What is with all the noise?" a gruff voice interrupted.

"Huh? Oh, it's just that hermit guy," Fiirawen said.

The old Rainbow Face slowly approached them, silhouetted in the darkness.

"Ya know, there is something familiar about the way he walks," Clowd couldn't help but say. "This is my first time actually observing him move, and it just feels like I've seen a stride like that before… Wait, now I remember! The old hermit- HE'S the one who we saw carrying someone on his back!"

**Character Bio Number Twelve**

Name: Ali

Species: Long Neck

Gender: Female

Personality: Kind, caring, and gentle

Power given in part one: Dancer- The ability to perform numerous dances to boost an attribute of her allies.

Power given in part two: Fuser- The skill to merge with another creature to increase the potency of his or her power.


	14. Chapter XIII

**Chapter XIII: A Ransom Before the Great Awakening**

In which Dusk is captured, and some long sleep comes to an end.

"Okay, everyone, pull harder! Come on!" Menta coaxed as everyone tried removing Dusk's mostly-sunk body from a pool of sinking sand.

Soon, Menta's fear began to grow. Despite their efforts, Dusk was getting farther and farther into the sucking terrain.

"Alright, at the count of three, everyone pull with all their might!" Menta ordered. "One, two, three!"

Everyone yanked as hard as they could, but Dusk didn't raise an inch. As soon as they relaxed from the sudden force, Dusk finally sunk all the way in and vanished from sight.

"My lord!" she screamed.

She started to jump in after him, but Spike grabbed her tail and held her back. She fired a psychic blast, knocking him down and resumed trying to join her brother in his fate. Ceit knew what Dusk would have wanted him to have done. He focused, and Menta's anguish subsided. All but Menta hung their heads in sadness at the loss of a friend.

"Why do you all look like that?" Menta questioned.

"You not sad that Dusk-" but Ceit quickly covered Petrie's mouth, being the only one hadn't realized what Ceit had done.

"She forgot him," Ceit whispered.

"Ohhh."

Menta gave the two Flyers a funny look then pressed on.

"Don't dawdle, guys. We have a Long Neck to catch up to."

Despite their grief, they followed her in silence.

xxxxx

A loud coughing broke the silence.

"What is this place?" a voice echoed in the darkness. Dusk wiped bits of sand off his body and abruptly exhaled to get the granules out of his nose. He looked around and saw nothing; it was too dark. Finally, he said aloud, "Yikes, I hope I can get out of here."

"Would you look at that?" a voice called out.

"Yes, it is rather sad, is it not?"

"Indeed it is. Our guest wants to leave so suddenly. That's not polite at all."

They were clearly three different creatures, as the tones were all very different. Dusk was no fool. He had already picked up on the fact that these guys were up to no good.

"Help me get out of here, and no one will get hurt," he offered.

"Would you listen to him?"

"Yeah, he doesn't sound very nice."

"Quite true. He threatened to hurt us. That is certainly rather mean."

There was silence for a few seconds.

"He isn't a threat. He has two powers, but one involves using his foe's shadow, worthless in this darkness, and the other is manipulating his energy outside his body, also pointless if he can't see us."

"Ah, you're a psychic, I see," Dusk remarked.

"And you're a master of pointing out the obvious, I see," the psychic replied.

"So are you three going to help me or not? I assume you have some method to see in this darkness, otherwise you wouldn't be hanging out down here."

"This one has gotten boring very quickly. Shall we finish him here and now?" one of the voices asked, causing Dusk to tense up.

"No," the psychic replied. "I see that he has a great deal of friends. We can use them to do things for us in the light. We promise to release him if they help us, then when they help us, we keep him still!"

"Ah, brilliant," the third voice agreed. "They'll serve us forever as long as he's alive."

"Eh, why not just kill him and tell them we have him captive? We don't want another mouth to feed."

"No good," the psychic replied, shaking his head. "He has a psychic friend as well, so she'd be able to see if he was dead. I'll go up and find his friends. You two remain here with our guest."

"Gotcha," the other two voices replied in unison.

"I have to contact Menta," Dusk thought to himself worriedly, "to warn her." Focusing, he called out to her mind, just as he had done so many times. She always kept a mental link to him open, but made it so that she only heard him when he wanted her to. "Menta, can you hear?"

xxxxx

"Why did you stop, Menta?" Cera asked her.

"Sorry, I just heard a voice in my head. I think it's another psychic, because I certainly didn't make a link with anyone. Oh well. I'll just block him. Onward we go."

xxxxx

"Ugh, why isn't she answering? Did something happen to her?" Dusk wondered. Carefully, slowly, and quietly, Dusk made his way to a wall and began creeping away, hoping to find an exit. Then he heard laugher.

"I see that you've already forgotten the very thing you guessed about us. We can see just fine down here. I was hoping you wouldn't go and make trouble, but alas, our lives just seem to be full of it. Go and get the rope."

"Why do I have to?"

"Because I can beat you in a fight. Need another reason?"

The other voice did not reply, but instead went and got a rope. He approached Dusk and started to tie him up. Although Dusk couldn't find his enemies by sight, he certainly knew where one was when he grabbed him. The Sharptooth lunged out and successfully grabbed his enemy by the neck and squeezed hard. The creature began to choke, but his neck suddenly grew so hot that Dusk had to let go in pain. As the one he grabbed gasped for the breath, the second creature arrived before Dusk, raised his arm, then brought it and the stone he was holding down hard onto Dusk's head, knocking him out.

"I trust you'll be able to tie him up _now_?" the one who knocked him out asked.

"Just shut up." And with that, he bound Dusk's arms and legs.

xxxxx

"What! How can the hermit be the kidnapper of the chef? He was one who wanted his bread in the first place," Fiirawen said quietly so the approaching Rainbow Face wouldn't hear. "Are you absolutely positive it's him?"

"Well, I wouldn't stake my life on it, but I'm pretty sure," Clowd answered.

Having arrived at the group, the old Rainbow Face repeated, "What is with all this noise?"

"Sorry, sir," Freund replied. "We were attacked by a Necromancer Lord."

"Ah. And how did you all beat him? One of you have light or healing magic?"

"The boy suffocated him," Rane explained.

"Ah," he said again. "Now if you don't mind, be on your way. I can clearly see that you don't have any bread with you, so your mission has not yet been carried out."

"You can't tell us when to leave!" Rane told him, quite angry.

"Um, yes, I can. I own this area. Would you like to see my deed?"

"Oh. My apologies, sir," Rane said as his face turned red.

Still, they all remained.

"How many times must I say it? Go!" he repeated.

Then, Fiirawen looked up with a devious smile.

"We are here to take you in. Several Rainbow Faces had heard what you did to the chef and in turn told the governor. He sent us to apprehend you."

"What! I can't believe I didn't notice any others… Be that as it may, I won't go quietly."

"But why?" Fiirawen pressed. "Why send us to get something for you that was impossible?"

"I wanted you to spread the word that I was wanting some of Cocinero's bread in the town so the Rainbow Faces there wouldn't suspect it was me who took him. And when I find out who all blabbed to the governor, I'm gonna-"

"You won't do a thing to them," Fiirawen replied, still smiling.

"You think you can stop me?"

"No need. The ones who told the governor don't exist. I made them up to trick you into confessing," Fiirawen replied.

"Why you-! You will pay for this with blood!" he exclaimed, furious.

"Heh, now what's a little ole healer gonna do? Cleanse us to death?" Clowd joked.

"The powers of a healer are many. We can do more than you think. For example…" the hermit then snapped his fingers and Clowd went limp, falling to the ground.

"What did you do to my brother?" Rane shrieked.

"Healers help with pain by being able to numb others. I simply made every muscle in his body go numb. Now for you." With another snap of his old fingers, Rane too fell to the ground.

Fiirawen lunged at him, claws out, but with another snap, she fell to the ground as well. She tried belching flames at him, but she couldn't feel her throat to be able to do it. All that emerged was a tiny puff of smoke.

"Just numb me and get it over with," Freund said as he stood, admitting defeat.

"Smart lad."

In seconds, the young Rainbow Face fell to the ground with the others.

"This will last for only a few hours. Plenty of time for me to whip up a forgetful serum for you all. I'll be back shortly, so don't run off now," he said with a laugh.

That being said, he turned to head back to his little house. No sooner had he done this though, when a loud cracking sound filled the air. The old Rainbow Face fell to the ground and Freund could be seen holding a large stick, now broken near the end. With the loss of his consciousness, his magic effect on the others immediately wore off, and they stood up.

"How in the world did you get up and move while under his spell?" Fiirawen asked in awe.

"Heh heh. Well, there is more to super speed than simply moving fast. It also allows me to recover extremely fast, even from magic spells. Now let's head over to his house. I bet he has Cocinero trapped in there. You two," he said, looking at Rane and Clowd, "stay here and watch him. If he starts to wake up, you need to take him out again."

"No problem," Rane replied. "I will be ready with a Slumber Trap the moment he moves an eye."

Freund and Fiirawen then quickly made their way to the little hut which was in eyesight and nearby. As the children opened the creaky door and went inside, they at once saw an unconscious Rainbow Face chained to the wall.

"That's him!" Freund exclaimed, rushing over. He placed two fingers on the chef's neck then gasped. "He's- dead."

xxxxx

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" a Rainbow Face called as he ran up to the group. He placed his hands on his knees as he huffed loudly.

"What can we do for you?" Menta asked him politely. To her surprise, he laughed in response.

"'Tis an amusing form of courtesy given the situation. My buddies and I have Dusk captive in our lair. He survived his fall in the sinking sand, and he's being held up there, safe and sound.

"Sorry, you must have us confused with someone else," Menta replied. "I know nothing about someone called 'Dusk.'" Now it was the stranger's turn to be surprised.

He focused on Menta then frowned.

"So, one of you must be an illusionist. Anyway, for the rest of you that DO recall who he is, here's the deal: Bring us twenty loaves of bread and a whole basket of vegetables, then Dusk goes free."

Ruby, who had been carrying the basket from the village they worked in, handed it to him.

"There's still most of a loaf in there and some vegetables. They should hold you over if your request takes us a while."

"Smart girl, not putting up a fight. If I don't return shortly, my companions will cease their gentleness with him," he explained, taking the basket.

"Shoot!" Cera said to herself. She was planning on attacking him.

"Meet me at the sinking sand when you get it. I'll open a link between myself and the pink one." Turning to Ruby, he said, "Whenever you want to contact me, just think of me and form words in your head."

"I will do that, that I will do," she replied.

Then he ran off into the distance.

"Okay, what was that all about?" Menta wanted to know. "Who is this Dusk guy?"

"Since he's alive, I may as well change her back," Ceit said. Focusing, he did just that.

"We need to hurry and get that food!" Menta exclaimed suddenly. "There's no telling what they might do to him, whether we get it or not."

"Can you Mind Seek for any large gathering of Rainbow Faces? That should lead us to a town," Ceit suggested.

"No good," she replied. "Don't forget about my switching cool down."

"Then I'll fly up high and see if I can spot a town. One moment." As Ceit took to the skies, a smile soon formed on his lips, and he landed. "This way," he told them, leading on.

xxxxx

"Are you sure?" Fiirawen whispered.

"Positive. No pulse at all. There are no wound marks that I can see, so I'm guessing he wasn't given any food or water," Freund replied.

Suddenly, the body opened an eye. The kids screamed and jumped back.

"I thought you said he was dead!"

"Maybe he's an undead?"

"There aren't any Necromancer Lords around to resurrect him. I'd smell the decay."

"I take it you two are not with that old advisor?" Cocinero asked them.

"No, we actually came here to find and rescue you," Fiirawen explained, still nervous about what was going on. "But uh, weren't you dead a moment ago?"

The great cook laughed.

"I am illusionist. I couldn't work my magic on him because he would just cleanse away my influence. Not even memory alteration would work, because he knew of my power so wrote a note to cleanse himself every few minutes. So, I made an illusion on myself that I was dead in hopes that he'd get rid of me. Sadly, I've been looking like this for nearly two days and he hasn't so much as touched me. I guess he's too creeped out to touch a 'dead' guy."

"Well don't worry anymore. We'll get you out of here," Fiirawen assured him.

She opened her mouth and fired a small stream of flames on his shackles, and it wasn't long before they had melted away.

"So, what was he wanting from you while he kept you here?" Freund wanted to know.

"He wanted me to bake him some bread, but he was constantly watching me."

"So? Are you that nervous about being observed?" Fiirawen asked.

"Just when I'm cooking…" he replied nervously.

"I can't imagine why!" Freund exclaimed. "Your food is the best around."

Cocinero hung his head.

"You two saved me, so I'll let you in on the truth. Perhaps it will lighten the load of guilt I feel each and every day. I am actually a horrible cook. I just cast an illusion spell on all my produce to make them taste good."

Freund's mouth dropped open. Cocinero was a role model for him; he wanted to be able to cook just like him. Now he felt devastated.

"Let's just get out of here," the little Rainbow Face said quietly.

They returned to Rane and Clowd to see the old Rainbow Face still asleep.

"Did he wake up at all?" Fiirawen wondered.

"Nope. We didn't have a single problem," Rane replied. "Now, if Freund will just use his speed to run and tell the governor about this, he can be arrested and we can put this whole situation behind us. Well, mostly…"

"What do you mean mostly?" Fiirawen asked, glancing at him. "Oh…"

"Heh heh, I see that you just remembered. You owe us some meat for our help," Rane replied with a grin.

"Can she do it later? I need to bring her back with me to tell my father. I made a promise not to speak of this," Freund pointed out.

Rane and Clowd exchanged glances then lowered their heads and sighed in unison.

"Fine, but you owe us, dragon," Clowd finally said.

"I should be able to carry you, Fiirawen. You're kinda thin for a dragon. Hop on."

The young dragon got on Freund's back, and he ran very quickly back to town. Freund told the guards that they needed to see the governor on a matter of utmost urgency, so they escorted the kids to him. Otherwise, they would have taken Fiirawen captive again.

"How tragic," the governor said after hearing the tale. "To think he was my trusted adviser. He left a note saying that he needed a vacation, which is why I never pursued finding where he went. I'll send guards immediately to go to that area and arrest him. Sorry for the trouble earlier, uh, Fairwen, was it?"

"Fiirawen," she corrected. "Now, I must be going. I have a debt to repay."

"No, you don't," the governor replied with a grin. "After all your help finding my cook and exposing my evil advisor, giving food to that family is now MY part. They will be given the grandest feast that I can provide, and when they need more, they need only to ask, so don't worry a thing about them."

Fiirawen bowed politely and said, "Thank you, sir." As she turned to leave, she suddenly remembered something very important. "Oh, but if I can ask for just one more favor…"

"Anything," the governor offered.

"Do you know a healer?"

xxxxx

Chomper sat up and let loose a great big yawn. Then Agu and Niah did so as well.

"Oh, yeah. Let's cuddle like this forever, my Chomper," a little Sharptooth was saying in her sleep.

"Hey, Coaley, quit your gross dreaming and wake up!" Agu demanded, giving her a flick on the forehead.

"Huh!" she exclaimed, sitting up suddenly. She hoped that she hadn't been talking in her sleep, and her face turned red just in case. "What are we doing down in this hole?"

"Okay, kids, just give me your hands, and I'll pull you out," a kindly Rainbow Face called, looking down at them. In less than a minute, all of the kids were safely out of the hole. Fiirawen then suddenly leapt onto Chomper, hugging him.

"Oh, Chomper, I was so worried about you!" the dragon cried.

"Hands off!" Coaley demanded. Then when everyone looked at her, she laughed nervously and said, "She might hurt him, hugging him that hard, that's all."

After Chomper had hugged her back for a little bit, he stood up and looked at the Rainbow Face who had pulled them out.

"So, who are you?" Chomper asked him.

"Oh, just a healer friend of the governor," he replied.

"Governor?" Agu wanted to know.

"It's like a leader," Niah explained.

"Oh. Well anyway, what were we doing in that hole? Why is a healer here in the first place? I don't remember a thing," Agu continued.

"He came to remove the sleep spell on all of you, and he healed your foot, too, Agu. I'll explain everything else on the way to town," Fiirawen answered.

"Town?" Agu asked.

"Thank him," Fiirawen whispered to Agu.

"Oh, right. Thanks for healing my foot."

"Don't mention it. Anyway, a town is a large gathering place for Rainbow Faces. You guys have been asleep a while, and the governor offered to feed us all before we continued on our journey," the dragon told him.

"No," Chomper declared, and everyone looked at him. "We've wasted too much time already. We need to find Littlefoot as quickly as possible."

"How noble of you, master. Thinking with your heart while your appetite tries to sway you is commendable indeed," his heart remarked.

Fiirawen's stomach growled and she looked sad, but she couldn't bring herself to challenge Chomper's declaration. Finally, she spoke to the healer.

"Please tell the governor we are sorry, but we decline his offer. We are on important business. Oh, and please tell Freund, 'I hope our paths cross again.'"

"As you wish, little lady," he replied, then began making his way back to town.

As Chomper's heart whispered the way to go and they all resumed walking, Coaley asked, "Did I say anything while I was asleep?"

Agu was going to reply, but Niah poked him.

"Don't embarrass her," she whispered to him.

"I'll take the silence as a 'no,'" Coaley finally said. She took Chomper by the hand and walked beside him.

"If we end up together, I hope her dreams don't keep me up," Chomper thought to himself.

"Something on your mind, Chomper?" Coaley asked.

"Err, nope! Nothing at all! Heh heh…"

**Character Bio Number Thirteen**

Name: Coaley

Species: Sharptooth

Gender: Female

Personality: Kind, energetic, and jealous

Power given in part one: Warp- The ability to take one's self and nearby others to any place that the caster has already been to, leaving a temporary Warp hole that others can enter to go to the same place the caster went.

Power given in part two: Negation- The power to Negate the next ability someone is about to use or an ability that is currently in use, as well as making a field that provides protection from any power-based attacks.


	15. Chapter XIV

**Chapter XIV: Mysterious Blood and the Time for Tales**

In which a seemingly-simple job leads to trouble, and the kids talk about old times.

"Sure, I'll sell you some food," an elderly, female Rainbow Face replied.

"Thanks! Err, 'sell'?" Menta asked curiously.

"Uh oh," Cera cut in. "I remember back when we were in that tavern and there were all those damages. Ace gave that Jared guy a pretty stone to make up for it. I think we need some stones of our own to give in exchange."

"There's no need for that," the Rainbow Face told them. Everyone looked up to her with bright faces and hopeful eyes. "You can just work it off!" Everyone sighed and hung their heads in unison.

"Just so long as it isn't more weed pulling," Cera grumbled.

"Hush, Cera," Menta told her. "If pulling weeds is what it'll take to save Dusk, then so be it. He'd do the same for you." Turning to the female, she asked, "Okay, so what do you need?"

"Well I- I suppose you could- you might make progress with- well hm, I don't exactly know."

"We're kind of on a tight schedule here, lady!" Cera exclaimed.

"Cera, you should be nice, you should, you should," Ducky whispered.

"I know! You can make a delivery for me. My husband is out over yonder chopping down trees," she explained, pointing. "Please bring him the lunch he forget and do whatever he could use help with. When he's done with you, I'll give you the food you asked for."

"Sounds fair enough, fair enough that sounds," Ruby replied gratefully. She took the basket of food and began walking towards where the Rainbow Face's husband was working.

"Wait, Ruby," Menta said. "We could use a bit more of a description of his location. How far is it from here? Do we just keep walking straight that way?"

"Oh, how silly of me. It's about a ten minute walk, give or take, and you just keep following that path until it forks. Turn left, and he should be in view within seconds."

"Path? Oh, now I see it. Thanks. Okay guys, let's move out," Menta instructed, trying to sound like Dusk.

**Nine minutes later…**

"There's the turn off!" Petrie called down, being the first to see it from the sky.

"I still don't see why we had to walk," Cera grumbled.

"As Dusk said, we need the exercise," Ceit reminded.

"Hm. I can see pretty far since the trees are so thinly dispersed, but I can't see this husband of hers anywhere," Ruby commented.

"Let's walk down it a bit farther, and maybe he'll come into view," Menta suggested. After a few moments, they found no one.

"Okay, it's official. He's not here," Cera remarked.

"Oh my…" Menta trailed off.

"What?" Petrie asked.

"Yes, what is it?" Ducky wanted to know. Then Spike saw it too and his eyes widened.

"Is that-?"

"Yes, Ali," Menta answered gravely. "It seems to be a tree-cutting thing, and it's lying in a puddle of blood."

xxxxx

"This is so boring. We've been walking a long time and nothing has happened," Agu moaned.

"Consider us lucky," Niah pointed out. "Nothing means no trouble just as much as it means no fun."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I know!" Fiirawen said suddenly. "Why don't we talk about times we had with our families?" Everyone froze. "What? What?"

"All our families are- gone," Chomper told her quietly.

"Oh. I'm sorry." There was silence for nearly a minute. "Well, it doesn't hurt to cherish your good memories of them. My parents are dead too, but thinking about all the great times I had with them makes me feel happy. That's why I never cried when daddy died during a hunt and mommy died to that weird creature. Death can't take my memories away."

"You're right," Chomper had to admit. "Let me tell you a story about something I did with my parents a long time ago."

"All ears!" Fiirawen replied.

Flash Back

"Rawr!"

"Eh, not bad, son. Bare your teeth a bit more tightly though. I can tell by looking at your cheeks that you aren't applying much pressure with your mouth."

"But dad, why is it so important to look intimidating? Getting the food is all that matters, isn't it?"

His father sighed.

"No, more matters than just that. We have our pride as Sharpteeth. If we're going to do something, then we have to do to our fullest potential. You'll feel bigger when you do it just right. Instilling fear into your prey is an exhilarating feeling."

"What does, uh, ezillerating mean?"

"Heh heh, 'exhilarating,' Chomper. It just means that you'll feel really good. Now, let's take a little break."

"I don't need a break, dad! To be honest, I am a bit tired of these lessons, but that's just because I want to give the real thing a try." Chomper looked down, realizing that he was still early along in his training and his dad would likely never let him hunt on his own for a long time.

"Very well. Just be back before dark." Chomper's mouth nearly dropped open. His father trusted him to hunt on his own already!

"I'll make you proud!" With that, Chomper rushed into the nearby woods. "Hm, I wonder what I'll find. A Long Neck, maybe? Ooh, or maybe a Swimmer!" His mouth watered. Suddenly, he heard a slight movement in some branches. He looked up to see a Flyer leave his perch on a high limb and fly away. Chomper sighed. "Figures my first sighting would be something I can never catch." Then his sniffer detected something new. He turned his head this way and that, trying to locate it. He got on his hands and knees and looked inside a group of bushes.

"Eek!" came a shout as a young Swimmer burst from the bushes and began scrambling away.

"I must be doing it right. She certainly is terrified," Chomper thought to himself. "Rawr!"

They ran for nearly a minute, Chomper getting closer by the second. She looked back as her heart pounded away, but in the process, she tripped over a dip in the ground and tumbled on her face. She was terrified, but nothing could have prepared her for what came next.

"Are you alright?" Chomper asked her.

"H-how can I understand you?"

"Oh, I used to know these leaf-eaters. Long story…"

"Why would you try to eat me then ask if I was alright when I fell? That isn't how Sharpteeth behave. You're weird."

Chomper froze. It looked like he wasn't ready to hunt after all. Even when going after prey, his overbearing concern for the wellbeing of others still shone through. The Swimmer tried slowly sneaking away while he was lost in thought, but then he looked up at her.

"Eek!"

"Relax. I guess I won't eat you after all. I'm just not ready to kill yet." Chomper then turned around and headed for home. The Swimmer watched him leave suspiciously, but when he was out of sight, she knew he spoke the truth.

"How did it go?" his mother asked him.

"Uh, well, I- saw a Flyer. Can't catch those though." Chomper was afraid to admit that he let a catch go. He was so upset that he started to cry.

"Aw." His mother scooped him up and nuzzled his body with her face. "Don't be sad. I know you did your best. Your father said that you're shaping up to be quite the hunter." That only made him feel worse, so he pressed up against her all the more.

"How's my wonderful son?" his father asked, entering the scene. Then he saw his tears. "I didn't catch anything my first time either," he explained, having analyzed the situation.

"I- I want to try again tomorrow."

"And so you shall," his father confirmed. "Now, let's all eat the meal I caught and get a good night's rest."

As they ate, Chomper thought to himself, "My next meal will be from my own claws."

**The following day…**

"I smell more than one. Ooh boy, I got lucky this time." As Chomper moved through the trees, he came to a clearing, and indeed, there were numerous dinosaurs. Unfortunately, the child was no match for two adult Spike Tails. Even more unfortunately, they saw him. Chomper dashed away as fast as he could, but they gave chase, hoping to deplete the meat-eating population by one.

Just went Chomper thought all was lost, he was suddenly yanked into a hollowed out space beneath a tree. He quickly turned to see the Swimmer from yesterday, and she pressed a finger to her lips, motioning for him to be quiet. The Spike Tails looked around, angry and confused at how they lost him. They angrily stomped their feet then returned to their nest.

"Why did you save me?" he asked her.

"Well, I kinda like you. It's not every day someone comes across a caring Sharptooth."

"Hey, my family and I care about each other very much. All families do!"

"Easy. I worded that poorly, sorry. I meant Sharpteeth that care about leaf-eaters."

"Oh."

Chomper's parents' words from the night before echoed in his head. They had such high hopes for him and were expecting him to start catching food. Chomper looked at the Swimmer longingly, then made up his mind.

"Forgive me," he told her.

"For what?"

With a quick jerk of his head, he had his jaws wrapped around her neck, and in one sharp snap, her life was no more. Swimmer in his mouth, Chomper rushed home to show his parents. They were so proud and hugged him near endlessly.

"That's my boy," his father said. "That's my boy. From now on, you're no longer a kid. I accept you as a full-fledged hunter of this family."

"You're going to be quite a catch for a girl someday," his mother added, and he blushed.

End of Flash Back

"And that is one of my fondest memories of my parents. The day they accepted me as a true hunter meant everything to me."

"Wow, that was quite a story, Chomper," Niah complimented.

"Yes, and your mother was right," Coaley added.

"Huh?"

"You are definitely quite the catch for a girl." After she said that, she blushed, and so did Chomper.

"So, does anyone else have a fond memory of their parents?" Chomper wanted to know.

"I don't. My parents were stupid," Agu remarked.

"Stupid?" Niah pressed.

"Well, I mean they were just horrible parents. Get this."

Flash Back

"After you catch enough food to fill us all, you are to feed us and massage our backs at the same time," his father ordered.

"Yes, father. As you say."

Agu left and killed several dinosaurs, though he sustained many injuries.

"You pathetic child of mine! What kind of idiot lets himself get hurt like that? It'll only make it harder to catch more later. But keep this in mind! You are to catch just as much food for dinner and do it just as quickly. Your injuries can't be used as an excuse because I never gave you permission to get beaten up like that."

"But father, my ankle is sprained, my head has a deep gash, and my arms are really cut up."

"No excuses! No son of mine is going to grow to be a complainer. Now feed your mother and I and massage our backs."

"Yes, father. As you say."

"And don't get any of your filthy blood on us or the food!"

"Yes, father. As you say."

After Agu had finished, he sat down to rest.

"Did I say you could rest?" his father roared.

"Father, I am tired."

"You lazy, good-for-nothing boy of mine!" his mother bellowed. She picked him up and threw him as far as she could. He hit a tree and blood trickled from both of his nostrils.

End of Flash Back

"Hold on a minute!" Niah interrupted.

"Hey, I wasn't finished!" Agu shot back.

"Yeah, I know. That is why I said to hold on. Now, I have a serious problem with your story."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I think you're making it up."

"What? Why?"

"Parents love their kids with all their heart. They only punish when their kids do something wrong; they're not abusive like that. I don't know what you had against your parents, but don't get back at them by soiling their memory."

"I am not lying!" Agu insisted.

"Aeri, is he lying?" Niah asked.

"How would the beast know?" Agu questioned.

"Aerial Screechers have a secret power: They can detect lies."

Aeri screeched and nodded vigorously.

"Okay, fine," Agu confessed, having been discovered. "I've always been an only child, and it was so lonely. I kept begging my parents to have more kids, but they kept saying no."

"Do you know why?" Niah wanted to know.

"It's nothing." Then Aeri screeched loudly at him. "Okay, okay! They said that I was too much to handle, so they didn't think they could put up with more kids."

"Not surprised," Niah said to herself.

"What did you say?"

"Huh, me? Not a thing!"

"Anyway, I'm curious, how do Aerial Screechers detect lies? Is it magic, or do they have some sort of sense about it?" Agu asked.

"Hee hee. They can't. It was a bluff to get you to confess."

"Why you-!"

"Easy, guys," Fiirawen cut in. "I suggested discussing memories to bring us some cheer, not to instill anger and fighting. Coaley, would you like a go at this?"

"Sure! My parents and I were REALLY close. I remember one day like it was yesterday."

Flash Back

"Isn't this just the prettiest field of flowers?" Coaley marveled.

"Yes, dear, it most certainly is," her mother agreed.

"Can I have a hug?"

"Of course, you _may_ have a hug," her mother corrected with a laugh, and both parents entered a warm embrace with their daughter. Upon release, Coaley begin picking a bunch of flowers. Her parents sat down and watched her with loving eyes. When she had picked a beautiful assortment, she returned to her parents.

"For you, mommy," she said, handing them to her mother.

"Why thank you, my little darling. Oh, here," she said, removing one of the flowers from the bouquet and place it on her daughter's ear. "Aw, now you look even cuter."

Coaley rushed over to a puddle to see for herself.

"Wow, I really do. Thanks, mom!"

"Well, girls, I think it's time we had a little snack. I'm going off to hunt for a bit," her father announced.

As her father eventually vanished from sight, Coaley suggested, "Hey, wanna talk about boys?"

With a laugh, her mother replied, "Well, being together with your father, I think that would be a little odd for me, but I'd love to hear what you have to say about them."

"Well, yesterday, I was playing with Claw and Nab, and when I fell, Claw reached his hand down to help me up! My face felt so hot; it was surely red. I was embarrassed and touched at the same time. He is so cute, too!"

"Aw, that was sweet of Claw. And the other was Nab, huh? Interesting name for a Sharptooth."

"Oh, he told me that when he was born, the first thing he did was nab his brother's arm, so that's how they named him. He's a cutie too, but he's really shy. When I asked him what game he wanted to play, he got all bashful and stuff and couldn't talk clearly. It was so adorable! I can see myself with either one of them."

"Coaley, aren't you a bit young to be thinking of a mate?"

"Not really! Daddy always says, 'Plan ahead.'"

"Well, I suppose that's a good thing to do. Hm?" She and Coaley bother turned their heads at once to a loud crashing sound, followed by a familiar roar. "That's your father. Coaley, whatever you do, wait here!"

"O-okay," she replied, getting scared. But neither Coaley nor her mother had any reason to move from that spot. Coaley's father burst through the trees coming towards them, his leg bleeding from a deep gash.

"Run!" he told them.

But the two Three Horns were too fast. One knocked him down, and the other gouged his horns right through his head before Coaley's mother could even react. When she finally assessed the situation, she attacked them in rage over her fallen husband and to protect her young one. However, she wasn't as good of a fighter as her husband, so she stood no chance against two Three Horns either. She was gouged to death as well and slumped over. The flower in Coaley's ear fell out into a puddle of mud, leaving her with nothing of her parents but memories.

End of Flash Back

"And that was the last time I ever spent with my parents. I will never forget their love," Coaley concluded. She had come to accept their death, so when she finished her story, she didn't even cry.

"That can't be it," Chomper said. "How did you get away from those Three Horns?"

"That is how I met Dusk and Menta. They came and saved me, killing the Three Horns and taking care of me."

"Wow, that is some story," Chomper concluded.

"So what about you, Niah?" Fiirawen asked. "Any fond memories of your parents?"

"I have plenty."

"Care to share?"

"Sure. I was very close to my parents. We did everything together and shared whatever we had, especially our love…" Niah trailed off, thinking back to her family for the first time in a while.

As all her fond memories flooded back to her, she was overcome with grief at what Littlefoot had done. She dropped to her knees and buried her face in her hands. Chomper rushed over to console her, wrapping an arm around her neck. She raised her head then brought it back down onto his chest, weeping bitterly. Her nose started to run, and her mucus started dripping down his body, but he didn't care. He just wanted to be there for his friend. Coaley, on the other hand, was not fond of Niah hugging and dirtying her Chomper.

"I'm sorry," Fiirawen finally said. "I didn't mean to cause you any pain with my suggestion."

Sniffing every few seconds, Niah replied, without lifting her head, "No, it's okay. I needed this cry."

Fiirawen walked over and rested a hand on her shoulder. Agu was hesitant at first to get involved in something so emotional, but he knew that Niah needed all the friends she could get, so he too approached her then began patting her head. He motioned for Coaley to come over too, but she instead abruptly turned her face away. Agu frowned, not understanding that she was overcome with jealousy. Eventually, Niah started shaking from crying so much, but Chomper held onto her all the more tightly, and they all stayed that way for several minutes. Coaley broke the silence.

"We can't sit here all day. Littlefoot may kill several Rainbow Faces that we could have prevented if only we hadn't stopped so long."

"Coaley, there is a time to grieve for everyone, and for Niah, that time is now. Don't rush her," Chomper said to her.

"Words aptly spoken, master," his heart whispered.

"Hmph!" Coaley replied, walking away a short distance than plopping onto the ground.

Wiping her nose, Niah stood up and said, "She's right. We'd better get going."

As everyone got up to resume walking and Chomper wiped off his chest, Fiirawen announced, "Okay, time to hear about my parents: They were plain awesome! End of story."

That made everyone, even sulking Coaley, burst into laughter.

**Character Bio Number Fourteen**

Name: Rey

Species: Rainbow Face

Gender: Male

Personality: Logical, leaderly, and helpful

Power: Transport- The ability to move things that have been touched and one's self to any location in sight, as well as showing sights to others that have been seen by the caster.


	16. Chapter XV

**Chapter XV: Mysteries no More**

In which Menta's group and Dusk uncover the truth about their situation.

"Oh no! Her husband's been killed!" Petrie shrieked.

"Now don't panic," Menta told him. "We don't know anything yet. This blood could be anyone's."

"But it right where he supposed to be," Petrie argued.

"Yes, but it's possible that something came along and attacked him, and this blood belongs to that creature, not the Rainbow Face," was Menta's rebuttal.

"But Menta," Ducky began, "if it was the creature who lost the battle, why is the Rainbow Face missing?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. For now, the only logical course of action to take it so follow the path."

"That's not very logical," Cera pointed out. "He could have gone anywhere. What makes you think we'll find him by following this forest path?"

"My dear girl, whoever said anything about following the _forest_ path? I was referring to- that." Then Menta pointed to a path of blood leading away.

"Oh, nice work, Menta. Following the blood may let us follow him," Ruby remarked.

With that, they all started to follow the crimson bodily fluid. It wasn't long, though, before they all heard a shout.

"Aiiiii! Quick, somebody help me!" Everyone turned to see a fairly small creature hanging from a high limb of a tree. The branch was cracking, so soon, he would plummet to his death.

"No worry. Me save you!" Petrie declared, flying up to the branch. Before he reached it though, the wood cracked, and he started to fall. Petrie did an aerial dive at a great speed and managed to grab him before he hit the ground. "Whew, that was close! But me got you," he said, lowering the critter to the ground.

"Just how did you get stuck up there anyway?" Cera wanted to know.

"I am fairly decent at climbing. Anyway, I have things to do, so good day. Oh, but before I leave, I want to shake the hand of my saver."

Petrie stepped forward, extending a wing, and the strange creature shook it vigorously. Petrie's body glowed, but it was so dim and so fast, that no one, not even himself, noticed. Then, to everyone's surprise, the creature left- by flying!

"What the- That little jerk! Tricking us into thinking he was really in trouble of falling. Ooh, that makes me so mad!" Cera ranted as she stomped her feet.

Not far from them yet, the creature smiled to himself and thought, "Anyone willing to lend his help to a stranger is worthy of my power. I certainly hope his mind acknowledges the new ability soon so he understands how to use it." Looking back, he whispered, "May it help you on your quest to save the Rainbow Face."

The trail of blood led to a big cave. Fortunately, unlike all the others ones they'd visited, this one had several holes on top to allow light to flood the inside of it.

"Well, it looks like whatever we are looking for is inside there," Ruby commented.

Cautiously, they made their way inside.

**Deep inside the cave…**

"Hold still, dear."

"I can't! It really hurts!"

"It's going to hurt a lot longer if you don't let me clean it out. That axe had wood dust all over it, so your wound is filthy."

"This is fun!" their daughter exclaimed.

"I am glad you're enjoying your new toy," her father remarked. "Ah!"

"I said hold still!" her mother said again, annoyed.

A Rainbow Face was dancing in front of the little girl as she moved her hands around.

"Please, let me go," the captive pleaded. Suddenly, one of his arms lifted, and he punched himself hard in the face.

"I didn't say you could talk, my little puppet. Speak again and I'll have you hit yourself in your baby maker."

The Rainbow Face gulped and said not another word.

"There. All clean," she told her husband.

"Thanks. Huh."

"Something the matter?"

"Possibly. I suddenly picked up a smell not far from here. I think we have guests."

"Ooh! More toys?" their daughter wanted to know.

"No, this one should last you for a while. We need the meat. I'm going to go 'welcome' out visitors."

"I'll come with you, dear," his wife announced. "Your shoulder is still hurt from that axe cut."

"Very well."

The two adults made their way to the entrance. Their kind was a strange sight. Their skin was made of wood, and instead of eyes, there was just two holes, yet they were magically still able to see. They had four arms but only two legs. There were hinges on their arms and legs to allow them to bend. They were just about to turn the corner when they heard the intruders talking.

"We all need to move very quietly. We must take whatever is in here by surprise," Menta was saying.

The two Wooden Puppeteers exchanged glances and grinned.

"Why should our daughter be the only one who has a little fun?" the male whispered.

"I'm all ready to let whatever we find have it!" Cera declared. Then she jerked her head forward, pricking Menta's rear with her horn.

"Ow! Cera, I know you're just itching for a fight, but please, at least try and control your violent tendencies with your allies."

"Sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"It's alright. I'm not angry." The Menta reached up and slapped Cera in the face.

"Hey! I thought you said you weren't angry! Why'd you hit me back?"

"I- I don't know. I'm not sure what came over me either."

"Yeah right. You're clearly mocking what I said earlier. You wanna fight? Be my guest."

"Now, now, girls, let's save our energy for whatever lives here," Ceit told them, stepping in between. After he had finished speaking, the Flying Sharptooth slapped Cera in the face.

"Oh, real cool, Ceit. Say one thing to get my guard down then do the exact opposite," Cera grumbled. "That slap didn't hurt, but what I'm going to do is sure gonna!" She charged at him, but a psychic blast knocked her on her side.

"You aren't going to lay a horn on him," Menta said plainly. "I don't think he meant to attack you, just like I didn't mean to attack you, and just like you didn't mean to attack me. I think this is a magic cave or something that makes our bodies move on their own."

"That is not good, on no no no no no," Ducky remarked. "We had better get out of here." As Spike, who was carrying Ducky, turned to leave, Menta stopped him.

"Wait. We can't afford to leave now- literally. We have to find that Rainbow Face's husband so we can get that food so Dusk can go free. Getting smacked a few times is a small price to pay." The others eventually nodded in agreement. Then Menta delivered a swift kick to Cera's face, causing her to bite her lip and draw a small amount of blood.

"We had better find this guy REAL soon," the Cera muttered.

"They look tasty enough," the male beast whispered.

"Agreed. They will make an excellent source of dinner for days," his mate replied.

"Well then, we'd best get serious about this then." With that, he raised his arms once again.

Cera charged at Ruby, then Spike reared up, knocking Ducky off, then he slammed into Ali.

"Not again!" Cera moaned.

Ruby was knocked into the cave wall, and the basket she was carrying fell to the ground, spilling its contents onto the dirty ground. Before she got up, she placed her hand on it, turning her body to solid rock.

"I won't hurt you, Cera, but I won't let you hurt me either," the Fast Runner explained.

Cera rammed into her again, but this time only managing to fall back from the impact.

"Ow!" the Three Horn cried.

Ali tensed up, fearing the blow from the super strong Spike Tail, but when she opened her eyes, she saw he wasn't moving.

"Come here beside me, Ali! My Stop spell won't hold him for long," Menta shouted.

Ali ran over and hunched behind the Sharptooth, then Spike finally broke free of her hold. This time, he came at Menta, but she sent a mildly-strong psychic blast that pushed him back. After this had happened three more times, both Menta and Spike were huffing.

"Me so wish me knew what was going on," Petrie said to himself. Then his body glowed like before, but again, it escaped his perception. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Everyone! We need to get around the next bend in the cave! It isn't this place that's controlling us. There are two beasts nearby that are doing it."

"How do you know that, Petrie?" Ducky wanted to know.

"No time to waste! Just trust me."

"Okay, Ducky, you turn Invisible and sneak ahead. There are numerous puddles of water around to use when you find these guys," Menta whispered to her.

"You got it." Ducky immediately vanished from sight and went ahead while her friends battled each other. "There they are!" she thought to herself, seeing two wooden creatures flailing their wrists around. She began gathering the water from all the nearby puddles into one big puddle, but the beasts didn't notice. Then, she raised her arms, and the water splashed up, covering them both except their heads, then she froze the water into ice. The Wooden Puppeteers couldn't move now, but they could still walk. Cera and Spike stopped attacking at once. "I got the beasts, guys! I did, I did."

Everyone ran ahead and admired Ducky's handiwork.

"Where is the Rainbow Face from the woods?" Cera asked right away.

"What Rainbow Face?" the male replied.

"Dear, they have the upper hand here, and it's clear that they know what they're talking about. We can catch a beast for her later. Please let us go, and we'll take you to him," his wife told them.

"I do not think so," Ducky replied. "Until we get who we are after, one of you will remain as our prisoner."

"Fair enough," the male said with a sigh. "Let my wife go."

Ducky released the ice on the female, and she led them back to the end of the cave where they lived.

"Sweetie, I'm afraid I need your new toy back," she told her daughter.

"No! He's mine! No take backs," she replied angrily.

She knelt beside her daughter and said gently, "If you let him go, we will get you two toys next time, 'kay?"

"Big ones?"

"Big as we can find, cross my heart."

"Oh, okay then." She released her hold on the Rainbow Face who fell to his knees.

"Is he alright!" Ali asked worriedly.

"Yeah, he's fine. He's just been dancing for nearly an hour," the child explained.

Menta and Ruby each got on one side of him and used themselves to support him as he walked.

When they got back to Ducky who was guarding the dad, Menta instructed, "Okay, let him go." Turning to beast, she added, "Don't try anything. We outnumber you quite a bit."

"Understood." Ducky then broke off his ice as well, then they all emerged from the cave.

"We'll take you home right away so you can rest," Menta told him.

"Oh, thanks but, could we stop by my work area first real fast? I need to retrieve my axe."

"That sharp thing? Sure."

As they made their way back, Cera looked at Petrie and asked, "So, how in the world did you know what was going on back in that cave?"

"Well, this'll sound silly but, me no know. Me just wished me could understand what was going on, and me just- did."

"That is odd. Oh well. It saved the day, so I'm glad it happened."

The group had no idea they were being watched from above.

"They managed to succeed, I see. And judging by their conversation, it seems that my gift was indeed the cause." He sighed. "I wish there were more folks who liked helping while expecting nothing in return." As he finished his thoughts, he flew away.

**Around fifteen minutes later…**

"Oh, Tie, what happened?" his wife asked suddenly, seeing the support he needed to walk.

"Don't worry, I'm alright now, thanks to these strangers. I just need some rest, and I'll be as good as new."

"Thank you all so much for helping my husband. You asked for twenty loaves of bread and a basket of vegetables, but for helping him out so much, I'll give you double."

"Thank you for your generosity, miss," Menta said politely. As the Rainbow Face went to get the food, she thought to herself, "I hope that Dusk is alright."

"I hope that Menta is alright," Dusk thought to himself.

"This food is really good," one of his captors said aloud.

"Sure is. We'll be set for life as long as we have this guy," another one of them remarked.

"In my opinion, the food has a slightly odd texture, like there is an ingredient that isn't normally in bread. Oh well. I guess not everyone cooks it the same," the third commented.

"How does that body of sand stay suspended in mid air?" Dusk wanted to know. "Shouldn't it be falling down and filling this tunnel?"

None of them felt like answering him, but to their surprise, one of them did.

"It's magic sand. It pulls things down with gravity, but the sand itself is not affected by the world's pull."

"Hey, why bother answering his questions?"

"Sorry, I just suddenly felt really compelled to explain. It was weird."

"It couldn't be- could it?" Dusk thought to himself. "Where did you get that food?"

Once again, no one had any interest in replying, but one answered, "From those friends of yours."

"Of course!" Dusk thought. "That's the food that had that truth serum in it. I can use this to learn their powers and why they can see in the dark." Speaking up, Dusk asked, "How can you see down here?"

"Light crystals. When you put them up to your eyes, you can see anywhere, no matter how dark it is. They get tied to string and Rainbow Faces wrap them around their heads. Ugh, why did I answer you?"

Dusk was rather amused that the three of them were being forced to answer him and that they had no idea why.

"I know one of you is a psychic. What can the rest of you do?"

"I am a weather mage. My powers change depending on the nearby weather. Since it's a sunny day outside, I have fire abilities."

"I am a alchemist. I can make duplicates of any item."

"Fools! Shut up, both of you!" Why did you give away all our powers?" the psychic wanted to know.

"I- I just don't know. I couldn't help it," the weather mage explained.

"Yeah, me neither," the alchemist added.

"So, boys, why are you hiding out here and not living in a village?" Dusk pressed.

"Counterfeiting. Our alchemist friend here thought we could strike it big by duplicating precious stones, but a wise jewel crafter saw through it and we were branded as criminals. We're wanted all around." Then the psychic covered his mouth in dismay.

"And you called us fools?" the alchemist asked. "Your information was even worse to share!"

"Maybe the creature has some sort of power that's forcing us to speak?" the weather mage guessed.

"Yes, that is very likely. He keeps asking questions as if he's certain we'll respond. Let me take a little look inside his mind…" After just a few moments, he slammed his fist against the wall. "This food I brought back- there was truth serum in it!"

"We'd better knock him out before we end up telling him anything else," the alchemist suggested.

"Good idea," the other two said in unison.

"This is going to hurt," Dusk whimpered to himself.

**Character Bio Number Fifteen**

Name: Reina

Species: Rainbow Face

Gender: Female

Reina- Short-tempered, argumentative, and strong-willed

Power: Transport- The ability to move things that have been touched and one's self to any location in sight, as well as showing sights to others that have been seen by the caster.


	17. Chapter XVI

**Chapter XVI: Unmemorable Birthday and the Prelude to Battle**

In which a child's birthday has an unexpected turn of events, and Chomper's group fights for a friend.

"This is my best birthday ever! My birthday is finally here, I get to go on a relaxing hike on a beautiful with my family, and I finally receive the present I've been wanting for so long," a young Rainbow Face said as he merrily marched along.

"I'm glad you're having a good time, son," his father said.

His mother rubbed his head, and his little sister gave him a big hug.

"I just can't wait to try my birthday gift out. I've wanted a telescope for as long as I could remember. I love the starry skies, filled with planets and other mysteries. I doubt I'll ever get to visit another world, but being able to view them is nearly just as good."

"We'd've bought you one sooner, but things have been a little tight for us lately. After our old house burned down, we had to spend nearly all we had left on a new one. If it wasn't for that, you'd've had a telescope last year," his father explained.

"It's okay, dad. What matters is that I have one now! Yippee!"

Just then, a figure flew over their heads and landed in front of them.

"I trust you have a good reason for waking me up from a nap?" he asked them.

"D-dad?" the son began.

"Don't worry, son. I won't let him hurt us."

"What is he, daddy?" his daughter asked.

"It's a Black Dragon, dear."

"Are they dang'rous?" she pressed.

"Ah, the naivety of youth," the Black Dragon mused.

"Nai-ve-ty?" she repeated.

"It means you're stupid."

"I am not!" To the horror of her parents, she stepped forward and kicked one of his legs.

"Yep, no doubt about it," the Black Dragon concluded. "You're the dumbest of the dumb."

"I won't let you talk to her like that," her father said defensively, but it was clear that he was afraid.

"And what'll you do if I continue? Wait, hold that thought. No need to answer; I'll just see for myself." Looking straight at the little Rainbow Face girl, he said, "Don't ever bother with getting your beauty sleep. No amount will fix that disaster you call a face."

In a moment, the Black Dragon was skidding backwards along the ground.

"There. You have now seen what happens," the father told him, rubbing his knuckles gingerly.

"Super strength… Is that all?" he wondered.

Then a nearby puddle rose into the air, froze, split apart, formed into icicles, then went hurdling at the beast's face. Quickly, he blew a stream of dark fire that incinerated the projectiles to nothing.

"And a wife that controls water. How- quaint."

"Stay back, kids. Your mother and I can handle him."

Their children backed away worriedly. The dragon chuckled then tensed his body. He was then engulfed with black fire and he dashed at the dad at an incredible speed.

"Dad!" the kids screamed, but their worries weren't necessary. Their mother had subtlety froze a small sheet of ice on the ground, so he slipped and fell, landing on his face. The kids laughed, and he glared at them furiously. Then their father took advantage of his distraction, ran forward, then kicked him on the face, sending hurdling through the air. The Black Dragon got up slowly, wiping the blood oozing from both his nose and lip.

"A reduction in my lifetime is petty compared to ending your disgusting lives," he growled.

"Oh no," the father thought. "Is he about to-"

His fears came true as the Black Dragon grew to an incredible size. He tromped over to the Rainbow Face family and quickly snatched up the dad. He struggled, but even his strength couldn't free him from the grip of a full-sized Black Dragon. He was just about to plop the Rainbow Face in his mouth when a black lightning bolt descended from the sky, hitting the Black Dragon as he roared in pain and dropped the Rainbow Face. He turned to his new attacker.

"And who are you?" he asked in a threatening tone.

"My name is Littlefoot, but knowing won't do you much good."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Knowledge is useless to the dead." With that, he extended his claws and rushed his huge foe.

The dragon only laughed and grabbed him. As he tried crushing the Long Neck's body, his eyes snapped open from the searing pain he felt. He dropped the boy and clutched his hurt hand with his other one.

"I'm just like those beautiful red flowers. I seem harmless enough at first glance, but try and pluck me and you'll find a new definition of pain. They have thorns, but the agony I inflict is more so than plucking a hundred at once and rubbing them all over your body. That is the power of darkness."

"So what? You can cause a little pain. Without actually inflicting damage, you have no hope."

"I will offer a warning just this once. If you want to live, turn your head away," Littlefoot said gently.

"And what will happen if I don't? Eh, don't answer that. I'd much rather prefer to see."

Littlefoot's body glowed and dark energy emanated from his skin. He began walking slowly up the Black Dragon. Eventually, the beast lost patience and took a deep breath to unleash his dark flame attack.

"I wanted your suffering to last, but oh well!"

With that, Littlefoot dashed so fast at the Black Dragon that he didn't even have a chance to react. Mere moments before his fire power was released, Littlefoot leapt up and his razor sharp claws sliced into the beast's throat, spilling a large amount of blood. The Black Dragon's mouth clamped shut from the sudden pain, and the black flames that would have been released poured into his mouth, and with no outlet, his head exploded in crimson glory.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Littlefoot said quietly as he turned his back on the dragon. He was then caught off guard as the little Rainbow Face girl ran up and hugged him.

"Thank you so much for saving us, mister!"

"Don't mention it," Littlefoot replied politely with a grin.

"This is truly my best birthday by far! No, make that my best day period! I got to see the most epic battle ever! You're awesome, Littlefoot! Hey, want to join me for my birthday party?"

"Yes, we really owe you everything," his father added. "If you hadn't come along, we'd all likely be dead. The least we could do is invite you to join in our celebration."

"Aw, that is very kind of you all. I am touched, truly. However, I must decline. I have some business to attend to that will keep me from being able to join you."

"Awww!" the young girl cried. "Please, are you sure you can't come?"

Littlefoot nuzzled his face against her own.

"You're a very sweet girl, and I am honored that you want me to come so badly. Believe me, if my business wasn't of the nature that it is, I assure you, I'd be happy to join you."

"What business is so pressing, if you don't me asking?" their mother pressed. "Is there anything we can do to help you get it done faster so you can join us?"

"Well, there actually is something you can do to speed my work along. However, once my job is over, I still can't come along."

"But I thought you said your business is why you can't come? So why then, after it's over, still can't you join us?" the boy wanted to know. "Just what is this job anyway?"

"Well, just like with that Black Dragon, you woke me up from a nap. I was on my way to take care of the problem when that beast beat me to it. Still, I wasn't about to let someone else do my work for me."

"I don't follow you," their father said.

"Well, to put it simply, the only reason I saved you from that Black Dragon, was so that I can kill you all myself."

Blood and screams filled the air. Littlefoot proceeded to pile the Rainbow Face bodies on top of the Black Dragon's.

"There. What a lovely decoration for this dull area," he said to himself proudly. "It's funny how things can turn out. That kid would have never guessed that his best day ever- would also be his last."

xxxxx

"Perfect! We found another big town. Not as large as the one I was in recently, but it should still have exquisite accommodations," Niah told the others.

"Um, what does that mean?" asked Chomper, confused.

"It means that it should have everything that travelers need. Food, drink, safe places to sleep, and best of all- baths! I SO need a bath."

Agu plugged his nose and replied, "I couldn't agree more." Suddenly, Niah poked Agu and he floated into the air and landed atop a high branch from a tall tree. "Hey, put me down right now!"

"As you wish."

Agu suddenly jerked away from the tree and startling plummeting downward.

"Never mind! Pick me up! Pick me-" He stopped midair just shortly before hitting the ground. "No one can take a joke…"

"Thing is, we'll have to do some work to pay off any services we get," Niah continued.

"We don't have time for that," Chomper told her. "Littlefoot needs to be stopped as soon as possible."

"We need to be able to relax sometimes too, Chomper. We won't be able to stop anyone if we're exhausted," Niah pointed out.

"I agree with Chomper," Coaley cut in.

"I doubt that," Agu said. "I know how much you like taking baths. You're just saying that because you have a crush on him."

Coaley turned very red.

"A-am- am not!" she insisted.

"Let's put it to a vote," Fiirawen suggested. "All in favor, raise an arm."

Everyone but Chomper and Coaley lifted one of their arms.

"Do what you want, but I'm going after him."

As he turned to leave, Fiirawen reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Chomper," she began, "everyone needs rest and nourishment to survive. You won't be helping anyone if you run out of energy."

Coaley stepped forward and yanked Fiirawen's arm off of Chomper.

"He's made up his mind, so leave him alone. And don't touch him either."

"Easy, guys!" Niah said, trying to break the tension in the air.

Agu sighed, then he looked at Chomper and focused.

"Okay, guys, let's head over to that town and refresh ourselves!" Chomper suddenly declared.

"Agu, did you change his-?" Coaley began.

"You can thank me later," he replied. "He needs a break, just like the rest of us."

"Glad you changed your mind," Niah said with relief.

"Yeah, me too," Fiirawen added. Neither the Rainbow Face nor the Red Dragon knew what had just happened.

When they had finally gotten to the bottom of the hill, they entered the town, admiring the sights.

"Let's go the tavern and see if we can do some chores for a nice meal and a bath," Niah suggested.

As they made their way through the streets bustling with Rainbow Faces, the group split apart, but no one noticed. Finally, when they found the tavern and walked inside, Fiirawen said suddenly, "Hey, where's Agu?"

The others glanced this way and that, but there was no sign of him.

"We'll never find him in a place this big!" Fiirawen moaned.

"Aeri, would you please fly up and see if you can spot Agu?" Niah asked the Aerial Screecher.

He squawked in reply and took to the skies. In less than a minute, he screeched loudly several times while looking in a certain direction.

"He must have found him!" Niah exclaimed. "Come on!"

They all rushed to their friend as Aeri led the way from above. They found him sitting at a table loaded with sweets eating away.

"Agu!" Niah shouted. "We were so worried about you, yet we find you eating like nothing is wrong."

"Nuttin iss wong," he replied, mouth full of cake.

Then he started to choke. Niah quickly got behind him and pressed sharply on his stomach. In seconds, Agu coughed up the dislodged food.

"And just what would you have done if I wasn't there to save you?" Niah pressed.

"The only reason I choked was from talking to you. If you hadn't shown up, I wouldn't have choked."

"You ungrateful- UGH!" With that, Niah stormed outside of the bakery.

Agu started to follow her to apologize when a fat, female Rainbow Face grabbed his arm.

"Where do ya think you're going?" she demanded.

"Uh, outside…"

"Not without paying you aren't!"

"Oh, that's right… Um, what chores can I do?"

"Chores! It isn't a few measly tasks that support my family. That will be two precious stones."

"I- I don't have any."

The Rainbow Face grabbed his waste, picked him up, then shoved him against the wall.

"I don't take kindly to thieves, boy. Guards! Guards! Lock this one up for stealing my food."

Two Rainbow Faces came forward and took Agu by the arms.

"Wait, please!" he begged.

"I'll do as much work is needed to pay off his debt," Chomper offered.

"What is it with kids and thinking everything is payable by work? You won't see your friend again until somebody gives me two precious stones."

Chomper and the others helplessly watched Agu being dragged away to imprisonment.

"He got what he deserves," Niah muttered.

"This is terrible!" Fiirawen exclaimed. "How are we going to free him?"

"Well, you could defeat those guards if you got huge, right?" Coaley suggested.

"Attacking guards is a serious offense," Niah explained. "She would have major time in prison when she'd be caught. No, we'll have to think of some other plan. Or rather, you all will. I want nothing more to do with that little brat."

Chomper wanted to reason with her, stand up for Agu, but he couldn't find the words to do so. Coaley hung her head, and Fiirawen started glancing around, hoping an idea would come to her. Luck was indeed on her side.

"We're going to save Agu," the young dragon declared. "And we're going to have a little fun in the process."

"You're planning to break him out of prison?" Niah asked incredulously.

"Nope. Take a look at that sign."

Niah, Chomper, and Coaley all turned to a large poster attached to a store wall.

"Not a bad idea," Niah had to admit.

"Uh, what does it say?" Chomper wanted to know. "Coaley and I can't understand those markings."

Fiirawen cleared her throat and read the sign word for word.

"Attention all who love the thrill of battle and the sound of precious stones clattering in your purse! On the day of this month's full moon, a tournament will be held to determine the strongest and cleverest fighter around. The third place winner gets two precious stones, second gets four, and first place gets a whopping ten! Anyone, be they dinosaur or beast, is welcome to sign up. We look forward to your entry at Ray's tavern. (The tournament proctors cannot be held responsible for any injuries received during combat.)"

"Tournament?" Chomper asked.

"It's an area where two guys go head-to-head in combat, and to win, your enemy has to give up, end up being unable to stand any longer, get knocked out of the fighting area, or, in rare cases, dies. Not many folks like killing, so dying is by far the rarest outcome. All we have to do is enter, and hopefully, one of us will get at least third place. That will pay off Agu's debt completely," Fiirawen explained.

"I'm sorry, I can't join," Coaley admitted. "I'm no fighter. My powers are just moving and cancelling attacks. I have no hope of beating anyone."

"Aw, don't feel bad, Coaley. It's not your fault. You do what you can to help when you're able to, and that's all that matters," Chomper comforted.

Coaley smiled and gave him a big hug.

"Count me out too," Niah announced.

"Levitation is awesome for fighting, Niah," Fiirawen pointed out.

"Agreed."

"So, why aren't you entering then?" the dragon pressed.

"Because I don't care about freeing that little jerk. Knowing him, if I was the one that won and got his debt repaid, saying, 'Thank you,' is the last thing he'd say. I can't do things for those who don't appreciate them."

"Niah," Chomper began, "friendship isn't about doing something in order to get something in return. Sure, gratitude is great, but it should be a perk, not a requirement. Friends help each other because it's the right thing to do. If we have to get a thank you in order to do something, then we can't really call ourselves friends at all," Chomper told her.

"Master, oh master, if I had eyes, they'd be filling with tears right now. That was beautiful," his heart told him.

"Just speaking the truth," Chomper thought back.

Niah said nothing in reply.

"Well, guys, those of us who will fight had best go and sign up at Ray's tavern," Fiirawen finally broke the silence. "That tavern we went to at first was the one. I saw the sign outside of it before we went looking for Agu."

The five of them returned to the tavern and asked about the tournament. The bartender, who was Ray himself, got out a form and handed Fiirawen a quill. She jotted down her name, then began handing it to Chomper until she recalled that he was illiterate. She then wrote down his name herself and handed the paper back.

"I wonder where we should sleep," Fiirawen wondered aloud.

"Oh?" Ray started to say. "Didn't you know? Contestants and their friends and family sleep here for free, and it comes with free food. The kitchen is at the end of the hall, where you'll find tables of food. The governor of this town loves to see the fights, so he pays for applicants' expenses himself. Here are two keys. Each room has two beds, but I assume the Aerial Screecher won't need a bed. The numbers of your rooms are engraved into the kids. Have a pleasant stay, and good luck on tomorrow's battle."

"Um, is there a bath room?" Niah asked.

"Yep," Ray replied. "The left door at the end of the kitchen leads to the girl bathroom, and the right door leads to the boy one."

"Great, thank you!" Niah replied happily.

Fiirawen took the keys and they all made their way through the hallway that had the sleeping quarters in rows. Fiirawen unlocked one of the doors and handed that key to Chomper.

"You and Coaley can sleep in this one. Niah and I can take the other room. I'm going to check out the kitchen. I'm starved, and you all must be too. Afterwards, I'm hitting the bathroom."

The others had to admit that their stomachs were quite empty, so they joined Fiirawen who showed the Sharpteeth about the plates and cups. Only the dragon had any meat. The rest of them just had bread and butter, vegetables, and water. Well, most of them had water anyway.

"Mm, this stuff tastes a lot better than water," Coaley mused. The others were too busy eating to really notice her comment though. After a few minutes, she started giggling slightly.

Swallowing what was in his mouth, Chomper asked, "What's so funny, Coaley?"

She leaned close to him, as if she wanted to tell him a secret, then she hiccupped loudly and nearly fell off the bench. Chomper fortunately caught her.

"Uh, Coaley?" he continued.

"Great. Coaley got into the wine. It's a good thing she won't be fighting tomorrow. Her head is going to be killing her," Niah explained.

"Why's the _hicca_ room spinning?" Coaley wondered aloud. Then her body jerked with another loud hiccup.

"Coaley, I think I'd better get you to bed. Come on," Chomper told her, getting up.

"Aw, that's so _hiccup_ so shweet. I love you, _hic_!"

Chomper, using his incredible strength, picked Coaley up like as if she was a stick and cradled her in his arms as he carried her to her bed. Niah, Fiirawen, Aeri, and the other contestants in the room could hear Coaley hiccupping all the way down the hall and even after she was placed on a bed. Chomper returned with a very uncomfortable expression, as his chest had something all over it.

"Ooh…" Fiirawen began. "I should have warned you. Drunkenness usually leads to puking."

Grabbing a napkin from the table and staring to wipe himself off, he replied, "Yeah, so I noticed."

The four of them finished eating then Niah went to get a bath, followed by Fiirawen. Chomper went to his room to keep an eye on Coaley, and after the girls had had their baths, they went to their room as well to get some much-needed rest for the big day tomorrow. Niah, however, had trouble getting to sleep. Chomper's speech echoed in her mind as she tossed and turned for most of the night.

**Character Bio Number Sixteen**

Name: Niah

Species: Rainbow Face

Gender: Female

Personality: Wise, caring, and friendly

Power: Levitation- The ability to move one's self and other things through the air. One can keep something Levitated if contact is kept, and temporary contact allows for brief Levitation depending on how long the contact was sustained.


	18. Chapter XVII

**Chapter XVII: Good-Bye Mother, and Hello Jealousy**

In which Dusk's group learn more of the Rainbow Faces, and Coaley just can't relax.

Very late, under a starry sky, a group of dinosaurs rendezvoused with a Rainbow Face.

"There's your food," Menta said in a low tone, tossing the basket at the Rainbow Face's feet. "Now give me back my brother."

The psychic stooped over and picked up the basket, then he admired its contents.

"Well what do you know. There's even more in here than I had asked for. Excellent work."

The others stared at him expectantly.

"Oh, right. About your little friend. I decided that I want something else first before I let him go."

Menta was on him in an instant. She grabbed him by the throat and roared in fury.

"I am a reasonable Sharptooth, that I am. You captured my brother and demanded ransom, and I did as I was told. Now, my patience has come to an end. No more favors. We had a deal. Now, return Dusk to us or you won't be returning at all," Menta growled.

"If I don't come back within a certain time period-"

"Don't try sneaking away with empty threats," Menta continued. "I can see clearly in your mind that you made no such ultimatum this time."

"I'm not leading you anywhere," he replied indignantly, crossing his arms. He knew better than to attack. He was no match for all of them.

"Oh, Ceeeit?" Menta called out loudly.

"Leave it to me!" Ceit declared.

"What? What is he going to do?" he asked worriedly.

"Just try and relax," Menta comforted mockingly.

Moments later, the Rainbow Face straightened up and said, "Thank you for the food. As agreed, I will lead you to your companion."

"Why thank you," Menta replied pleasantly.

"You should have altered his memories to begin with, Ceit," Cera whispered to him, annoyed.

"Eh heh heh… Sorry, I was so worried about lord Dusk that I couldn't think."

As they neared the sinking sand, the others were appalled that the Rainbow Face didn't seem to have any intention of going around it.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Cera wanted to know.

"Taking us all back to our hideout, what else?" With that, he hopped onto the magical terrain and began sinking. As the others simply stared, he added, "Come on, this is the fastest way down, and it's perfectly safe."

In moments, he vanished from sight beneath the pool of sand.

"Maybe this trap," Petrie wondered.

"Impossible," Ceit replied. "My memory alteration is flawless. He truly believes he intended to let Dusk go after we brought the food and that he would bring us right to him. Now I think we should all quit dawdling and get a move on."

Ceit then carefully landed onto the sand and began getting sucked in. Menta was next, and the others jumped in together. As soon as they were safely away from the surface, it began to rain slightly.

"I cannot see a thing, oh no, oh no," Ducky remarked.

"My lord, are you there?" Menta called out.

"Yes! I'm tied up against the wall over here," came the reply. "Ah, my head…"

"What's the meaning of this, bringing them all down here?" the weather mage demanded.

"The agreement was to release the prisoner and show them where we had him."

"Ugh, the careless idiot! One of that thing's friends must be an illusionist," the alchemist moaned.

"It doesn't matter," the weather mage replied. "We'll take out the intruders ourselves. We can see, and they cannot."

A psychic blast rippled through the air, knocking all three of the Rainbow Faces down.

"A psychic isn't limited to sight with all abilities," she told them. "I can't read any minds in the dark, but I can sense the three of you with perfect accuracy."

"Ah, it seems to be raining now. Water power it is then," the weather mage commented. He raised an arm and a geyser of water erupted beneath Menta's feet and she was propelled upward, hitting her head on the bottom of the sinking sand, getting dazed.

Petrie heard Menta's cry and felt so helpless.

"Ooh, my wish me knew how me could help." Then his body glowed very slightly, so much so that nobody noticed. His eyes widened in the darkness as he received a sudden revelation, and he raised a wing. "Let me take care of this fight. Come forth, Celestial Guardian!"

There was a brilliant flash of light, and a white being, with two feathery wings and a bright mace fluttered before him.

"Initiating battle. Instructions, my master," she said to Petrie.

"Fill up this whole room with light."

"Instructions received successfully. Carrying out orders now. Phenomenal Flare!"

Everyone had to shield their eyes momentarily, and when they opened them, the underground tunnel was as bright as day.

"Now, take out these Rainbow Faces!" he ordered.

"New instructions received successfully. Carrying out orders now."

The beast flew quickly at the alchemist who tried fleeing in terror. With a heavy swing of her mace, the Rainbow Face fell, unconscious. She suddenly got knocked into a wall by the Rainbow Face psychic, who had blasted her. The weather mage then proceeded to fire a powerful stream of water. She put up her mace to deflect the attack, but it ended up knocking her weapon from her hand. Petrie quickly flapped his wings, and a gust of air brought the mace back to her hand. As the psychic prepared for another blast, she hurled the mace at him. He lifted up his hands to protect his face, and the weapon broke his wrist from the impact. Again, Petrie's air manipulation brought the mace back to her.

The weather mage then covered his body in water. Watery tentacles protruded from him and he whipped them at the Celestial Guardian. She created a shield of light which stopped one of the blows, but the second knocked the object from her hands. Before Petrie could blow it back to her, he too was whipped, and the force knocked him into a wall.

"Requesting permission to heal your injury, my master," the beast stated.

"Ugh. Ugn. No, just take them out. I'm fine."

"Confirmation of previous instructions received. Continuing to carry out orders now."

The beast started spinning at a great speed, and feathers began blasting off of her wings in all directions. Petrie quickly blew a gust of wind from his friends towards their foes so none of the razor-sharp feathers would hit them. Two feathers sliced into the psychic's arm, the one that already had the broken wrist. Feeling immense pain, he fell to his knees, admitting defeat. The weather mage, however, didn't behave the same. Raising both arms, a cloud appeared before the beast, and rain started to descend on her. She let out a cry of pain as the hot rain began burning her skin. The weather mage expected her to move away, but to his surprise, she remained under the cloud, getting more and more burned.

"Does she like pain or something?" he thought to himself. "Why won't she get away from my Boiling Rain?"

The Celestial Guardian had been muttering for some time, though no one had noticed. Now, staring at her under the attack, the weather mage noticed.

"What in the world is she-"

"Casting complete. Divine Justice!"

A yellow circle shown from beneath the weather mage's feet, and try as he might, he couldn't get away. Finally, it rose all around him sealing him in a magic cage.

"Of course!" Petrie said suddenly. "The Divine Justice requires a long casting period and that the caster doesn't move. No wonder she didn't get away from that attack. Excellent work!"

"Compliments received successfully. Initiating response: Thank you, my master." With that, she healed her burns.

"How do you know about that spell?" Ali asked curiously.

"As a summoner, me know all about beasts me can call forth. Anyway, heal yourself and Menta, then help us find a way out of here," Petrie told his summon.

"Switch!" Ceit called out. The alchemist, who had started to crawl away, suddenly appeared where Dusk was and in the rope that had been binding him.

"Thank you all for saving me," Dusk told them. "Now let's get out of here."

"Wait!" the bound alchemist cried.

"Beg all you want. You won't be untied," Dusk said to him.

"Can that shining beast cure sicknesses as well?"

"And what if she can?" Petrie shot back.

"We'll do anything if she'll heal our mother."

"Explain," Dusk ordered.

"Well, as we said before, we became wanted Rainbow Faces for trying to sell fake precious stones. But! The reason we did it was afford the services of our village's healer. He charges quite a bit."

"Why?" Menta asked. "It doesn't consume any resources to heal someone."

"To be honest, his fee is not unreasonable. Everyone has to make a living somehow. We just can't afford it. Please, heal our mother."

The others exchanged glances.

"I've misjudged you," Dusk admitted. "You're during foul things for a good cause. I know that situation probably better than anyone. Take us to your mother, and I'm sure Petrie's summon will heal her."

"Thank you, thank you!" he exclaimed.

Petrie had the Celestial Guardian heal the psychic's injury, release the weather mage from his prison, and untie the alchemist.

"Follow us. We know the way out of here," the psychic told them, and in minutes, they were in broad moonlight. "Will you all protect us if we return to our village?"

"I will," Dusk replied, and the others nodded.

"Thank you. It's not far from here."

Just as he said, houses and other buildings quickly came into view. The Rainbow Faces seemed very nervous as they made their way in. Sure enough, someone shouted, "Look! It's those criminals! Guards!" Four bulky Rainbow Faces emerged onto the scene and grabbed them.

"Wait!" Dusk told them. "Just hear them out."

When the three brothers repeated what they had said to Dusk's group, to their surprise, the guards were not fazed but instead continued to lead them away. Dusk was clearly about to attack the guards when one of the brothers stopped him.

"No, we've committed a crime and have to pay for it, just like everyone else. Just please, heal our mother. She lives in the smallest house at the edge of the village." And the alchemist pointed into the distance.

"We promise to take care of this," Dusk reassured them.

They hurriedly found the house and knocked on the door. There was no reply.

"This girl is probably asleep. I know I get a lot of rest when I'm sick. Let's just go in," Cera suggested.

Dusk pushed open the creaky door and immediately saw an elderly Rainbow Face lying in a small bed. They all approached her quietly then looked down. Dusk shook his head sadly. She was asleep alright- an eternal sleep. Then, Dusk clenched his fists in a rage. He stormed out of the house and brazenly approached a Rainbow Face nearby.

"Where is the healer that lives in this village?"

"Keep going straight. Third house on the right."

Without a word of thanks, Dusk followed the directions, and the others weren't far behind. This time, Dusk didn't knock, but instead burst through the door to find an old Rainbow Face sitting on a chair reading a book.

"Are you the healer of this village?" Dusk asked. His voice was cold.

"Welcome, guests. Indeed I am. I charge ten precious stones for physical injuries, fifteen for illnesses, only seven for magic remov-"

Dusk wouldn't let the advertisement finish and grabbed the guy by the throat.

"You're a member of this village, and as such, must do your part to better it. Well, you've utterly failed! A citizen just died because of your refusal to heal without pay. Now I am going to see to it that YOU pay!"

The Rainbow Face tried answering, but the grip on his throat prohibited any sound.

"My lord, stop!" Menta shouted. "You're going to kill him!"

"Is that not what he deserves!"

"Using that logic, ma lord, shall we kill you after you finish with him?" Ceit inquired.

Dusk's eyes narrowed for a few seconds, then he turned away. He released his grip, and the old healer fell to his knees, gasping for breath.

"G-guards…" he tried saying.

"You disgust me," Dusk concluded. "You only care about your precious stones, and life means nothing to you. Have you never been helped without someone wanting something in return? Just what has made your heart into ice?"

"Money- is everything! No one gets along without it. If you can't comprehend its importance, then, you're a fool!"

The other grimaced, expecting Dusk to attack again, but he did not.

"Ceit, will you please see to it that he gives all of his money away, then return him to the way he is now except for the part about me asking this of you?"

"I will, ma lord."

"What? What are you talking about?" the healer wanted to know. Then he stood up, went to his chest, then began filling a large bag with all the stones. He then plopped it over his back and went outside.

"Free precious stones!" he called out. Rainbow Faces rushed from their homes and began picking up the money he had scattered about.

"Come on, guys. I can't stand another moment of that jerk in my sight," Dusk told them.

As soon as they were our of sight, the healer suddenly blinked as he looked clueless at the empty bag in his hands. Shrugging to no one in particular, he returned to his house. Suddenly, he let out a cry of dismay.

"I've been robbed!"

Dusk's keen ears served him well. As they all began their much-needed and deserved sleep for the night, he couldn't help but smile at the justice that had been done. The rain came to a stop and the sun shone down brightly on the caring Sharptooth.

xxxxx

"Coaley, wake up," Chomper said.

"Just one more kiss, Chomper. They feel so good…"

"Coaley!"

"Huh! Wha-! Oh, uh, hi Chomper…" Then she quickly clutched her head.

"What's wrong? You okay?"

"My head feels like it just rammed into a wall, got trampled by a Long Neck, then tail whipped by a Spike Tail, and finally hit by a flying rock."

"I hope you're not sick!" Chomper exclaimed worriedly. "Niah! Fiirawen! Come quick! Something is wrong with Coaley!"

"Keep it down!" a random contestant called from his room. "Some of us are still trying to sleep."

Chomper made his way to the girls' room and shook them both awake.

"What is it?" Fiirawen asked sleepily.

"I think Coaley is sick."

"Does she have immense head pain?" Niah asked.

"Yeah! How did you know?"

"It's the after effect of alcohol. It's painful but perfectly normal. She won't be moving about any time soon, but when her head returns to normal, she'll be perfectly fine."

"In the mean time, let's get some breakfast," Fiirawen suggested. "Maybe that'll wake me up."

"Yeah, I'm still really groggy too," Niah admitted. Aeri squawked quietly in agreement.

The four of them returned to the kitchen and grabbed some bread. Chomper sat down first, then Niah and Fiirawen sat on each side of him. Exhausted from being up so early, Fiirawen leaned against Chomper as she ate. Niah didn't really need to, but thought it would be funny to have someone leaning on each side of him, so she pressed against him too and giggled. Chomper smiled but simply continued to eat.

Coaley, despite her headache, made her way out of her room. She didn't want any more rest. She wanted to be with her beloved. He'd make her feel better, she just knew it. As she reached the end of the hallway, she gritted her teeth at the sight of two girls leaning on him.

"I knew they were competition!" she said to herself angrily. "Well, I can outdo them easily."

She marched right over to them, climbing over the table, then sat directly on Chomper's lap. She leaned back on him intimately.

"Uh, hi, Coaley. Feeling better, I take it?" he asked her.

"I'm fine, thanks." She wanted to kiss him, but it was too difficult to turn around enough, what with the bench being so close to the table and girls on each side of him. Then she looked down at his plate and say a half-eaten piece of bread. "His lips were on that. This'll be good enough." With that, she picked it up and took a bite right where Chomper's mouth had been, then set it back down.

"Um, would you like me to get you some of your own?" Chomper offered politely.

"Nah, I'm not hungry," she replied, much to the confusion of her friends. However, their thoughts quickly shifted to a Rainbow Face calling out.

"The matches will begin shortly," he announced. "Before they begin, however, you must list what your power is on this form. It was an oversight when you filled out the original paperwork."

Other contestants who were up early grumbled as they left their food to go list their ability.

"We'd better do us too," Fiirawen said to Chomper. "Super strength and speed, right?"

"Yup."

The young dragon got up and listed both what she and Chomper could do. With a thank you, the Rainbow Face started going into the rooms to get the powers of those still sleeping.

"I wonder why they need to know our powers," Niah remarked. "My father once entered this tournament, and no one needed them then."

"New rule, I guess," Fiirawen replied with a shrug.

Then, a second Rainbow Face entered the room, and he announced that the match order will be decided in five minutes, and the first battle begins in ten.

"You know the dragon rule, right Fiirawen?" Niah suddenly asked, remembering it.

"Dragon rule?"

"Yeah. You know you can't transform in your giant size for the matches, right? It isn't fair to everyone else."

"Well that's stupid! If they can use all their powers, I should be able to too! Ugh… Oh well. I guess I can fight without it."

"Ow," Coaley winced, holding her head again.

"Coaley, you should go back to bed," Chomper advised. "Rest is the best thing when you're not feeling well."

"But I don't wanna miss you beating all the opponents!" Coaley argued.

Chomper chuckled at her faith.

"I'm flattered, but the world is full of many good fighters. The winner could be anyone. In any case, though, you can't really enjoy anything when you're in pain, right?"

"I guess so. But I'll be there to watch as soon as my head stops hurting! I can't wait to see you wipe the floor with your opponents. Ow."

"Would you like me to carry you to bed?" Chomper offered.

Coaley knew that she could make it back on her own. On the other hand, she would love to be carried by the Sharptooth of her dreams, to be held by his strong and beautiful body, to be pressed up against his warm-

"Coaley?" he asked again, being as she seemed lot in thought.

"Oh! Sorry. Yeah, my head just hurts so much. I could really use a lift."

Chomper got up and took her in his arms. She leaned her head against his chest, enjoying every moment of being cradled as he brought her back to her bed. As he set her down, she hoped with all her might that he'd give her a good-bye kiss. She closed her eyes and puckered her lips, waiting for it come. The sound of a door closing made her open them, and she crossed her arms indignantly as she laid down alone in her room.

"Hey, Chomper, over here!" Fiirawen called. "The match ups have been decided. I get to go first, and it's against some Herbivore Ogre. It'll be a breeze. You fight third against some Rainbow Face named Deathbringer."

"What? His name is actually Deathbringer?"

"I don't believe it is for an instant, but that is who he signed in as. It's a probably a nickname or something he wished he was called."

No matter the reason, Chomper was a little nervous of fighting someone who went by a name like that.

"Where'd Niah go?" Chomper asked, finally noticing that neither she nor Aeri were around.

"Aeri is perched against the back wall over there. I'm not sure about Niah though. She said that she had to take of something but that we'll see her again soon."

"Attention!" boomed a loud voice. "Will the first two contestants please make their way to the arena?"

"Well, I'm up," Fiirawen said. Turning a bit red, she asked, "May I have a little good luck kiss?"

Coaley was tossing and turning in bed. She couldn't rest, not with such a headache, so she decided to watch the first matches after all. She got up and made her way back into the hallway- and saw Chomper land a kiss on Fiirawen's cheek! She quickly Warped back to her room and sat down. Her face was burning hot with anger and tensing up with jealousy.

"That Fiirawen… No! It was Chomper who did anything! I hope he loses his first match. That jerk!"

"Dinosaurs and beasts alike!" the announcer began across the circular audience surrounding a square platform in the center. "Today begins Stoneside City's monthly tournament! The first contenders are Fiirawen the Red Dragon, and Bruno, the Herbivore Ogre. Who will come out on top? Who will face utter defeat? Those questions, my friends, will be answered shortly!"

The crowd cheered as Fiirawen and an ogre emerged from opposite sides of the battle area. The arena floor was several deep, grey, stone tiles arranged into a large square.

"Now you two, back up to your opposite sides, then begin when you hear the bell!" the announcer instructed.

"Good luck," Fiirawen said, shaking Bruno's hand. Then she felt pain from his powerful squeeze and jerked back.

"Ha ha. Me no need luck to crush puny creature. Give up now and save great shame."

"Oh, it's on!" Fiirawen replied angrily.

After they had returned to their sides, a bell's ding rang through the air. The Red Dragon and Herbivore Ogre then began to battle.

**Character Bio Number Seventeen**

Name: Fiirawen

Species: Red Dragon

Gender: Female

Personality: Short-tempered with non friends, gentle when it comes to friends, and caring

Powers: Fire Manipulation- The ability to create fire and use it in various ways.

Growth- The power to greatly increase own size at the cost of reducing life span.


	19. Chapter XVIII

**Chapter XVIII: Defeat Before the Help of a Troublesome Kid**

In which someone loses a fight, and a troublemaker proves to be very useful.

Coaley had finally gotten to sleep. However, she awoke to the sound of very loud cheering. She flipped off her blanket and headed for the arena. When she got there, the crowd was cheering like crazy. The bystanders were all standing up, so even though the back rows were higher than the front ones, Coaley couldn't see what they were cheering at. There was a wall right behind the very back row, so she hopped up, grabbed the ledge, then pulled herself the rest of the way up. Finally, she could see what all the commotion was about. Chomper was standing in the center, bowing over and over again, and a large bag of precious stones was handed to him.

"Wow, Chomper won after all," she mused.

She was actually glad he had. Her ill-mannered wish earlier was just a bout of anger speaking for her. She started making her way down through the crowd to talk to him. It took a little while to squeeze through some of the folks in the crowd, but she eventually made it to the bottom. As she was about to hug the champion, Niah and Fiirawen suddenly entered the scene. Niah got in his left, and Fiirawen, the right. They kissed him in unison. Chomper blushed and he lifted each of them up into the air with a hand to show off, and the crowd cheered even louder. Coaley was near tears, but she approached Chomper anyway.

"I want to kiss you too," Coaley told him. "Lean down."

"No, Coaley."

"But, why?"

"I don't like you anymore."

Coaley shot straight up in her bed. She was breathing hard and clutching her blanket tightly.

"I'm going to watch the matches," she decided. Then she heard a crowd shouting, and the noise made her head hurt all the more. "Or, maybe not…" She plopped back down into bed and covered her head with her pillow. "Chomper loves me, not those other two," she said aloud, trying to convince herself. Yet, as her latest dream replayed in her mind, she couldn't help but start crying again. So as the match between Fiirawen and the ogre continued, the little Sharptooth stayed in bed, lonely and miserable, just wanting to feel loved.

xxxxx

"You must still be tired, Menta. We just woke up a bit ago. Just take it easy for a bit then check again," Dusk suggested.

"I am tired, my lord, but I make no mistake. I'm alert enough to use my power affectively."

"Come on. How could Littlefoot's location be up?" Cera wanted to know. "There's no mountains or anything above us, just sky puffies."

"Yes, it would be hard to go up when there is nothing up to go to," Ruby said thoughtfully.

"Remark all you want. My Mind Seek says Littlefoot is above us, so that is where he is."

"Maybe his dark power lets him fly?" Ducky suggested.

"Maybe," Dusk replied. "In any case, let's have Petrie fly us up there to be certain. If he can fly, perhaps he's doing so now, under the cover of that giant mass of sky puffies."

"Grow," Cera said, looking at Petrie.

Everyone piled onto the Flyer, and he flew them way up high. Everyone glanced this way and that, save Cera who had to keep eye contact with Petrie.

"It looks like there really is nothing but clouds up here," Ali finally concluded.

"I'm not giving up yet," Menta said back. "Petrie, fly above the sky puffies so we can look down and see everything better."

"Okay."

As the group ascended above the clouds, they looked down as their eyes widened and their minds filled with awe. There were buildings scattered across the whole area, and beasts were roaming about.

"Wow. This is amazing, it is, it is," Ducky marveled.

"I wonder how these clouds can support any weight," Ceit wondered.

"Oh look! Those are the exact same kind of beast me summon earlier," Petrie pointed out. It was true. The entire population was composed of Celestial Guardians, some young, and some old. He landed on one end of the cloud compilation, and everyone dismounted.

"Exclamation initiating: Welcome, old master!" a voice called cheerfully nearby. Everyone turned to see a Celestial Guardian fly over to them.

"Hey, you that one me summoned earlier."

"Recollection correct," she replied with a smile. "Question followed by comment now initiating: What brings you way up here? Land dwellers rarely pay us sky folks a visit."

"Well, my sister here seems to think a friend of ours is up here," Dusk explained.

"Comment received… State of curiosity attained. Question initiating: Does he have a long neck?"

"So he is here after all!" Dusk asked incredulously.

"Response initiating: Yes. He is being held in a Divine Justice seal now, and for attempted homicide, his execution will be held tonight."

xxxxx

Fiirawen ducked beneath a heavy swing of the ogre's wooden club. When he tried a low kicks, she flapped her wings, taking to the sky just shortly before impact. She blew flames from her mouth, covering the weapon. However, it did not burn.

"Puny creature has puny mind. Me prepared for fire. This club covered in a flame retardant oil."

Fiirawen dived down, claws out. He swung at her, but she did a sidestep in midair. As she was about to slash his face, he simply exhaled. The odor of his breath was so potent that she hesitated, and he took the opportunity to bat her to the ground. Before she could get up, he placed a foot on her chest and pressed down. Fiirawen opened her mouth to spew fire when he bopped her on the head, causing her to instantly close her mouth. Fortunately, he stopped her before the flames had formed, so instead of burning the inside of her mouth, she merely burped from the gas. She then closed her eyes, and her body started to heat up. The ogre jumped back and readied his weapon. Fiirawen hopped up from her back to her feet and started spewing fire balls. He easily knocked them aside at first, but at the end, he knocked the fire ball back at her. Dragons are immune fire, but the impact alone knocked her down. The crowd was going wild.

"I just can't get to him with that fireproof club of his," she thought to herself worriedly. "I guess I have no choice."

She extended her claws, and the ogre tensed up once again. But to his and the crowd's surprise, she slashed right into her arm. Blood trickled down quickly, as the gash was deep, staining the arena floor. It hurt quite a bit, but she barred her teeth and endured it. Next, she flew over the ogre and quickly made the gash even deeper. Breaking two blood vessels, blood sprayed vigorously down. The ogre managed to block the bodily fluid, and it covered the club. Fiirawen then flew down on the opposite side of the ring, trying to catch her breath and keep from screaming from the excruciating pain. The ogre, however, was not about to let her rest.

Rushing her, he called out, "Puny creature think blood will stop me? That me get grossed out and give up or something? You biggest fool ever."

He raised his club to bring it down on the young dragon, but she blew a stream of fire onto the weapon. The ogre started to chuckle, but his countenance twisted as he began to feel alarmed. His club was on fire! He quickly threw it down before his hand got burned, and Fiirawen got to her feet with a cocky smile.

"Dragon blood is acidic. It can eat through things like oil. Without your club, you have no means of protection. Now I tell YOU: Give up now and save yourself the shame of fighting a battle you cannot win."

"I- I give up."

Fiirawen turned to head off the stage when Bruno turned on her, grabbing her in his strong arms and squeezing.

"Wha-!" she cried.

Then the ogre fell over, landing on top of her. As Fiirawen scooted out from underneath him, she saw that he was now dead. A Rainbow Face stood over him with a heart in his hands.

"Bruno clearly gave up, so the victory belongs to Fiirawen. I won't stand for cheating in a fight," he called out.

"And we have a winner!" the announcer called. "The judges agree that she won the moment he gave up, and being as the match was then over, this contestant will not be penalized for stepping in."

"Thank you, sir," Fiirawen told the Rainbow Face as she got to her feet.

"Don't get the wrong idea, kid. I didn't step in to save you. I just can't stand cheating, and more importantly, I love to kill. Hope we meet again in a match."

He then dropped the bloody heart onto the ground and walked off. Fiirawen shivered. Something about that guy just gave her the creeps. "I love to kill"? She hoped with all her heart that she would NOT be pitted against that guy.

As she made her way up the benches in the audience to take a seat, Chomper came over and said, "Wow, I can't believe that ogre cheated like that. I was going to step in myself, but I was having trouble reaching the bottom with all these spectators. I'm glad that Rainbow Face came along."

"I'm not as thrilled about it." His expression of loving to kill was still echoing in her head and gave her the chills.

"Huh?"

"It's nothing. Let's just try and relax and enjoy the next fight."

"Next up," the announcer began, "we have two local residents."

As they stepped into the arena, Fiirawen said suddenly, "Hey, isn't that guy on the left the one who was asking about the contestants' powers?"

"Huh. I suppose it is," Chomper replied.

"I smell something rotten in the air…"

"Next up, Reesius versus Choronn!"

As the sound of a bell filled the air, the two Rainbow Faces began. The one on the right closed his eyes momentarily, and the other started to feel pain. However, it quickly dissipated, and he raised an arm. Clouds filled the area so that no one could see.

"What's going on?" Chomper wondered aloud. Then he heard a Rainbow Face whispering to his son.

"Looks like one of them is a weather mage. Since it's such a cloudy day, he was able to create cover."

The Rainbow Face who has attacked first looked around helplessly, then a heavy blow struck him in the head. Finally, the clouds lifted to reveal the weather mage standing over Choronn, the illusionist. Without getting up, he made the weather mage feel like he was drowning in a pool of lava, but after a second, he felt no pain at all.

"So, my blow to your head wasn't enough, eh?"

Then a solid cloud formed beneath Choronn's feet, and he was lifted into the sky.

"Give up, or you plummet to your death."

"I yield! Don't let me fall!"

The cloud then drifted back down, and the illusionist got off.

"But I just have to know. How did you manage to shirk off all my illusions?"

"A good fighter never reveals his secrets."

"And we have our second winner, Reesius!" the announcer called out, and the crowd went wild.

Fiirawen watched the weather mage as he returned to the stands, and saw him talking with another Rainbow Face. She then proceeded to get up and head over to them. Chomper watched her go curiously, but didn't question her.

"Excuse me," Fiirawen began to the weather mage's friend. "Would you please heal my arm?"

"Sure, right awa- Wait, how did you know-"

"Call it an educated guess," Fiirawen replied mysteriously as her arm was quickly as good as new.

"But you're a dragon," the weather mage pointed out. "Your wound would have healed in just a little while anyway."

"Oh, uh, you know, kids are impatient and whatnot. Well, gotta go! Have a good day, and thanks!" With that, Fiirawen rushed to give Chomper the news.

"I bet that that Rainbow Face who just won asked everyone what their powers were to be prepared for whoever he fights. He knew that his opponent was an illusionist, so he had that healer friend of his cast an Auto Heal on him before the match."

"Auto Heal?"

"It's a healing spell that automatically heals wounds and cleanses any magic effects once every few seconds. It has a really long cool down though."

"Should we tell one of the judges?"

"We have no proof, so no. It just makes me so mad that he's going to have the upper hand in all his fights."

"I don't know about that," Chomper said thoughtfully. "Knowing what your opponent can do doesn't always mean you have an advantage. Sure, there's extra time to strategize, but fighters often have tricks that aren't known until after the fighting begins."

"I suppose so. Well, you're up, Chomper."

"Huh? Oh, that's right! I am third, aren't I?" Chomper got up and rushed into position.

"Now, we have a beast that I've never seen before named Chomper going up against last year's winner, Deathbringer."

Chomper froze, not even caring about being called a beast. He was so hoping he'd avoid this guy! Then his and Fiirawen's eyes widened as they saw who it was and recognized him. It was the same Rainbow Face that had saved Fiirawen earlier! The Sharptooth gulped and stepped into position. As soon as the bell rang, Chomper dashed at him at a startling speed. To his surprise, Deathbringer wasn't moving at all. Right as Chomper's powerful punch would have made contact, his whole body went through Deathbringer's. He nearly fell of the arena floor and skidded to a halt.

"Now I understand how he ripped that ogre's heart out earlier," Fiirawen thought to herself. "He has the ghost type power. Oh, Chomper, please be careful."

Chomper didn't understand, and trying slashing into him, only to have his claw go right through him. Now it was Deathrbinger's turn. He punched at Chomper hard, but he blocked the punch with his incredible strength. With his other arm, he reached for Chomper's chest.

"Don't let him touch you!" Fiirawen shrieked, but Chomper couldn't hear over the roar of the crowd.

Fortunately, he jumped back anyway. Then to his amazement, Deathbringer sunk into the ground, vanishing from sight entirely.

"He's going to come back somewhere suddenly and surprise me," Chomper realized.

He started glancing all around frantically but everywhere except where he needed to. His opponent rose from right below his feet. The Sharptooth couldn't get away in time. Deathbringer's hand pierced his left leg, and he solidified it just as he pulled it out, tearing a big hole in his leg. He yelped in pain and clutched his bloody appendage. Despite his agony, he managed to leap back. However, the pain when he put pressure on that leg made him temporarily unbalanced. Deathbringer saw the opportunity and rushed him. Chomper punched forward, but his fist went through him. As Deathbringer solidified, he carried out a punch of his own, but super fast Chomper managed to grab his wrist and yanked it diagonally. The Rainbow Face winced in pain, but quickly shirked it off as he faded into the ground once again. This time, Chomper stared at the ground.

"All too easy to predict," Deathrbringer thought to himself as he arose behind Chomper. He brought his fists together to pound the Sharptooth, but Chomper suddenly elbowed straight back very hard. It hit him in the stomach, and the Rainbow Face went to his knees. "How did you-"

"Know you were there?" Chomper finished. "I knew that if I started straight down, my only complete blind spot would be directly behind me. Furthermore, I knew right before you attacked from your smell. You don't give off a scent when you get all untouchable."

"Do we have a winner folks? Or will Deathbringer get up from the devastating blow to his gut?" the announcer called out.

In reply, Deathbringer sunk below the ground once again. This time, Chomper kept looking in all directions, both around and down. An arm sprung up right in front of him, so he quickly stepped back, but he should have been looking behind him as well. The Rainbow Face's other arm sprang up behind him, going through his stomach and become tangible just as he withdrew it. Stomach acid gushed out, and Chomper starting throwing up. Deathbringer fully emerged and picked the boy up by his throat and holding him out, so as not to get puke on himself.

"Die," the Rainbow Face said, squeezing his throat.

Chomper could barely breathe, and he felt his life slipping away. He reached up to punch him, but his arm fell back down.

"It's futile to resist me any longer. You don't have the strength to even touch me."

Fiirawen rose from her seat. She didn't care about the rules. She was not going to let Chomper die. She flew into the air and began making her way to the fight. Then, just before Chomper passed out, he summoned all of his strength and let loose a sharp kick to his foe's private area. It wasn't a lot of force, but it was enough. Deathbringer dropped him and clutched the area between his legs. Chomper couldn't get sufficient oxygen fast enough, so he lost consciousness.

Fiirawen finally arrived and picked him up. She glared furiously at Deathbringer who returned the stare. The announcer made the end official.

"Chomper is unable to battle! That means- victory to last year's champion, Deathbringer!"

The crowd cheered and the Rainbow Face left the arena without a word. Fiirawen flew back over to where the healer was that had fixed her up, but he was nowhere in sight. Seeing his friend, the one who had fought earlier, she asked, "Where is the healer?"

"He went home for the day. Said he was tired and that the shouts where giving him a headache."

"Great." Fiirawen took Chomper to the kitchen, grabbed some napkins, then places them over Chomper's leg and stomach wound. After she applied pressure long enough, both of the outpours stopped, and she took him back to his room. Coaley, who had finally fallen asleep, woke up when she heard the door burst open.

"What's wrong with Chomper!" she asked in a panic, getting to her feet and rushing over to them.

"He lost his match. His leg and stomach were hurt, and he passed out. He'll be fine though, just needs some rest."

As she finished speaking, Chomper shivered.

"Oh! He looks so cold. Here. Put him in my bed, and I'll keep him warm."

"A blanket should do just fine. You don't need to-"

"PUT HIM IN MY BED!" she roared. Fiirawen immediately obeyed then left the room without another word.

As Coaley lay next to him with the blanket pulled over them both, she caressed his cheek with the back of her hand then clutched him tightly.

"I'm sorry, Chomper. I am so sorry for getting angry and wishing that you'd lose. I didn't mean it. I promise. Oh Chomper… I love you so much."

The male Sharptooth opened his eyes briefly, having heard what she said. Still, he felt too weak to reply so merely closed his eyes back up as she continued to cuddle against him. At that moment, the bond between them grew stronger than ever, and Coaley heard a low voice speak to her.

"Do not weep, little one. No matter what actions or words you take part in, Chomper will always care for you and won't store up any malice against you. Now get some rest, child. Both of you need it."

"Wh-who said that?" she asked.

She got no reply and merely dismissed it as her imagination.

xxxxx

"Please, let's talk this out," Menta reasoned.

"Request denied. Initiating explanation: Attempted murder is against our law. He forced a flying beast to carry him up here, then launched a brutal assault on a citizen. It is to be punished by life termination. There is no way around it."

"May we at least see him before this happens?" Cera asked her.

"Second request denied. Initiating explanation: As his friends, you may attempt to free him. We will not allow that. Commencing suggestion: Leave to avoid the pain of seeing him die." With that, she turned and walked off.

"We'll need to formulate an escape plan," Dusk announced, thinking no one could hear him.

"If you wanna succeed, lemme in on it," a young male's voice rang out. Everyone turned in surprise to see a very young Celestial Guardian.

"Who you?" Petrie asked.

"Just a kid who's sick of this utterly boring place. Breaking out a prisoner would make for some totally wicked excitement."

"You don't sound like that other Celestial Guardian, oh no no no no no," Ducky pointed out. "Do you all talk differently or something?"

"No, all the other folks talk like the one you were just speakin' to. I just find the typical way of talking here to be uber lame. I don't like wasting my time with things like, "Response initiating," doi!" He mimicked in a playful, low voice, and the others laughed.

"Well, we're glad to have someone who knows the area on our side now. First off, where is Littlefoot being held, and is he being guarded?" Dusk began.

"Littlefoot, eh? Goofy name. Anyway, the prisoner place is in the basement of the town hall. A Divine Justice holding spell doesn't fade until the sun goes down, and the execution will definitely be before that, but my kind really tends to worry, so there are a lot of guards at the ready."

"Is there a way for an outsider to break the spell open?" Dusk asked.

"Nope. But I ain't no outsider, now am I?"

Dusk and the others grinned.

"As you said earlier, we need a plan though. Folks can't just waltz right into the town hall, especially ground dwellers like yourselves. Oh, and another thing. When a Celestial Guardian's Divine Justice is dispelled by someone else, the original caster notices. If I break the spell, guards will surely come to the holding area."

"Just because we aren't Celestial Guardians, doesn't mean we can't look like Celestial Guardians," Ruby said deviously.

"Of course!" Dusk exclaimed. "Good thinking."

"Wanna fill me in on this revelation?" the kid asked.

"We have an illusionist," Dusk answered.

"Sweet."

"Okay, let's start off by you telling us why Celestial Guardians need to enter the town hall in the first place and how many guards are usually there," Dusk suggested. "I'll figure out what to do about the guards that'll come when you dispel the prison later."

"There are usually a bunch of them in the town hall. As for why folks go in there, it's all boring junk. Wanting to buy more cloud space for a home or store, filing a complaint about someone else, wanting to make a new law, or which parents are allowed to eat their newborn children."

"What! What was that last one!" Menta shrieked in disgust.

The boy burst out laughing.

"Nah, just kiddin' about that last one. The others are real though."

Menta gave him a dirty look. "This kid is sick," she thought to herself.

"Thank you for the information, uh-?"

"I'm Starry."

"Then thank you, Starry, for the help. Now for a quick question. How does your kind react to trouble?" Dusk questioned.

"Celestial Guardians are huge upholders of peace. They can't stand any problem."

"Perfect. I have a plan, but it'll require that we all pitch in. First though, I want to see if something will work. Ali, Fuse with Ducky."

"Yes, my lord. Ducky, Fuse!" Ali drifted in the young Swimmer then Ducky awaited Dusk's explanation.

"I want to see if having your power increased will let you make others Invisible. Try it on me."

"Okay." Ducky tensed up, and the Sharptooth vanished from sight.

Coming back into view, he said, "My theory was correct, I see. Okay, Ali, come on out, and everyone gather around. I don't want any more residents to hear this."

As they all huddled up, they listened to the most impressive plan they had ever heard.

**Character Bio Number Eighteen**

Name: Rane and Clowd

Species: Rainbow Faces

Gender: Male

Personality: Determined, cheerful, and hardworking

Power: Rane: Hunter- The ability to create various magical traps.

Clowd: Fuser- The skill to merge with another creature to increase the potency of his or her power.


	20. Chapter XIX

**Chapter XIX: Victory and Loss**

In which the next tournament battle takes place, and there is a sad farewell.

"Are you ready for round four, folks?"

The crowd went wild.

"This time, we have a young boy from a neighboring town named Tarren and a heavyweight fighter from this very town by the name of Gigga! The latter won the last tournament before Deathbringer started to compete. It may seem to be a one-sided match, but as you all should know, anything can happen!"

A Rainbow Face entered the arena from each side. One was huge with bulking muscles all over. The other was very small and wore a cowl which covered the young fighter's face.

"Ha ha ha! So, you know you're gonna lose so you hid your face to keep others from seeing who suffered the humiliating defeat, huh? Wise move, Tarren."

The masked fighter said not a word.

"I'll let you in on a little secret, kid. Maybe then you'll start to tremble in fear. Super strength ain't my power. This body was attained through years of hard work. My special ability is even more daunting than the massive muscle you see here."

Like before, the child did not reply. Now Gigga was getting angry.

"Fine! Keep your mouth shut. There won't be much left of it when I finish with it anyway."

As the bell rang across the arena, the two fighters began their battle. Gigga, the massive Rainbow Face, immediately took a large bite out of his arm. The crowd gasped. He then proceeded to spit out the disconnected flesh as the blood oozed out. He took his other hand and held it over the large gash. The blood started rising out of the hole and began to take shape. It took a circular form then hardened, and he threw it at his opponent. The blood weapon sliced the air at a rapid speed. The child could not evade it as it flew right at the vulnerable face. He grinned, thinking the battle to be over. He couldn't have been more wrong. The very instant it his the kid's face, before it could pierce the skin, it shot straight up into the air.

"What!" he yelled in anger. "How did you do that?" Then he frowned, realizing that he wouldn't get an answer no matter how many times he asked. "No matter." He extended his arm and the blood item returned to his hand. He extracted more blood, creating two new throwing weapons, then hurled them at the other challenger all at once. "Let's see you knock three up at once."

They knocked into the child, but unlike before, they did not shoot upward; they shot right back at the blood manipulator! He flinched and quickly held out his hand, causing them all to fall to the ground moments before they would have cut into him.

"So, projectiles don't work on you, huh kid? Not as pathetic as I'd thought… But still pathetic!"

xxxxx

"Hey, daddy?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"This blood power sounds just like Dusk's energy power. Is there a difference besides what the items are made of?"

"Ah, excellent question. Both Dusk and this fighter manipulate a natural resource to create something new. There is a small aspect of each though that makes them unique. Blood manipulation items can be controlled even when the caster isn't touching them, while energy items can't be controlled once they leave the user's contact. On the other hand, energy's benefit is its convenience and availability. Calling upon energy is fast and simple, while getting access to blood requires a self-inflicted wound. And, there is a lot more energy to control in a body than there is blood, so in an endurance fight, an energy user has the upper hand."

"Are you sure? Can't a blood user just use the same blood over and over again?"

"No. Remember when you fell and cut your knee last week? The blood we didn't wash off right away got dry and hard from being exposed to air. When blood isn't contained properly, it loses its original properties. Once blood gets all dried out, a blood manipulator can no longer control it."

"Ah, interesting. Alrighty, back to the fight!"

xxxxx

This time, the powerful Rainbow Face did not make a blood weapon separate from his body. He made a long prong that extended from his wrist and several inches beyond his hand. It was sharp enough to cut wood. He charged at the child, and, despite his size, covered ground very quickly. When he arrived, he thrust his arm forward to slice into the child's face, but the very moment the tip of the blood made contact, the entire Rainbow Face's body was tossed into the air and sailed back a great distance before he landed on his face. He got up, enraged as he spit out a now-broken tooth, and foolishly repeated his previous action, only this time, with more force. Once again, before the bloody extension could cut into the child's flesh, the giant Rainbow Face was knocked backwards. He got up but wisely thought out his next attack. His plan made him grin. His blood spike had gotten dried out, so he tossed it aside and drew out more blood. He made four throwing weapons, but he formed them with his hands behind his back. He tossed one behind him and it began slowly floating along the ground around the arena floor, making its way to the young fighter.

"I'll throw these so hard, you'll never be able to knock them up!" Gigga called as he hurled the three items.

Just as he expected though, they were thrown into the air as soon as they made contact. Then he smiled as he saw his fourth one get right behind the kid. He made it rise into the air and sail right into his opponent. The little Rainbow Face was not expecting a sneak attack. It pierced the combatant's back and the blood manipulator laughed as his foe dropped to the ground, motionless.

"Oh no!" the announcer called in artificial concern. "Will the little guy be able to continue, or is this the end of the fight?"

The fierce Rainbow Face walked over and picked the child up by the side of the cowl, though his smallest finger made contact with the kid's neck.

"Say something and I won't smash you into the ground. Your silence has really pissed me off. If you don't talk in five seconds, I'm gonna rip this cowl off and slam your pretty little face into the ground until every bone in your head ends up like my broken tooth."

To his and the crowd's amazement, however, the child still would not speak! As he raised the kid up to cause a colossal smash, he instead rose into the air. Startled, he dropped him. As the muscular Rainbow Face got higher and higher into the air, he started to scream.

"Let me down! Let me down! I hate heights!"

"As you wish," the child finally whispered.

The suspended Rainbow Face plunged down from a great altitude, landing on his head, knocking him out, but causing no serious damage. The child walked over and placed a foot on his back.

"Well whaddaya know, folks? We have an unexpected winner! Let's give this young boy a round of applause, shall we?" Clapping flooded the air as the child left the scene to tend to the bloody back wound.

"What an impressive fighter," Fiirawen marveled. "I hope I don't end up in the arena against him."

xxxxx

"Are we all ready?" Dusk asked his group.

"Aye," Ceit replied. "I'll get started right away." Starry and Ceit were engulfed in smoke. The young boy suddenly looked like an adult, and Ceit resembled the mace that Celestial Guardian grown-ups carry around. Starry picked him up just as if the Flying Sharptooth really was his weapon.

Ali Fused with Ducky, and both she and Dusk became Invisible. Spike and Ruby walked a short distance away, and Menta and Petrie walked in another direction. Cera stayed where she was.

"Okay, Spike, Ruby, begin operation saving Littlefoot," Dusk told them.

Spike nudged Ruby abruptly, and she fell to the ground. She quickly got up and pushed him back, then they both began struggling against each other. They made a lot of noise, and a few Celestial Guardians looked their way. Then Petrie started flying around looking worried, and Menta gave chase from below.

"Help, there's a fight!" Cera yelled over and over until guards came to where Spike and Ruby were.

"Help, a thief!" Menta called out, pointing to Petrie.

More guards emerged, taking to the skies after the Flyer. Petrie blew a strong gust of wind at them, knocking them back, but they persistently came after him. As guards tried breaking up the fight between Ruby and Spike, they started to fight against the guards in self defense. Starry, looking like an adult, walked casually past all of the commotion and began leading Invisible Dusk and Ducky to the holding area in the town hall.

"Looks like our diversion is distracting a lot of them," Dusk commented.

"True, but there are a lot of them in here. I just hope your plan works," Starry replied.

As the four of them entered the building, several guards standing about, and one waved to Starry and asked what he wanted here.

"We can't take out any here with so many around," Dusk whispered. "Do as we planned."

"Initiating response: We want to purchase some cloud space," Starry told the guard. "It's on the far east corner." Fortunately, Ceit had made Starry sound like an adult too.

"Initiating response: I'll look into that right away," the guard replied, and went into another room.

Fortunately, no more guards approached them, so they made their way to the prison. After a short walk, they saw two guards standing in front of the staircase that led down to the holding area. They could take down the two of them, but Dusk whispered to try a peaceful approach first.

"Initiating warning," Starry began. "Our city is under attack by intruders. You'd best get out there and help."

"Initiating response. We didn't hear the warning bell," one of them replied.

The four of them winced. Starry had forgotten to mention that. Dusk began forming a hard shield of energy and said, "Multi Shadow Pull!" The two guards fell on their faces, and Dusk bonked their heads hard with his shield, knocking them out.

"Ceit, would you please make them seem awake and standing guard?" Dusk whispered quickly.

"Right away, ma lord."

After that was done, they crept down the long flight of stairs and found Littlefoot sleeping in a yellow cage of energy. However, the sound of footsteps quickly awakened him.

"Is my execution early?" he asked. "Good. The sooner I get out of this, the sooner I can kill you all."

"Keep it down, Littlefoot," Dusk whispered. "It's me, Dusk. We're here to rescue you."

"Very well. But hurry it up. My claws are screaming for blood."

"Easy, now. You can't attack anyone during the escape. If they catch onto us, we're in serious trouble."

"Whatever," Littlefoot replied.

Starry focused, and the cage slowly started to fade away.

"What's taking so long?" Littlefoot asked impatiently.

"Sorry, I'm just a kid. Dispelling takes me a while." After about a minute, Littlefoot was free. "Okay, some guards will be here soon to investigate the Divine Justice removal."

Ceit quickly made Littlefoot look like a Celestial Guardian and then created a fake Littlefoot and prison. As guards entered the room, they looked suspiciously at the two guardians.

"Initiating inquiry: What's going on in here?" one of them asked. "I felt my Divine Justice get dispelled."

"Initiating reply: You must be mistaken," Starry told him. "As you can see, the prison is still very much active."

The guard approached the bright cage and examined it. The others held their breath. He was about to touch the cage, and everyone was terrified that he'd figure out it wasn't real. Then he pulled his hand back, and everyone relaxed.

"I don't need to touch this to know it isn't real." Everyone froze. "I sense no evil aura coming from this creature. Or should I say, illusion. Guards, seize them!"

"I'm relieved I came in here just in case something went wrong," Dusk thought to himself. "Multi Shadow Pull!"

All four of the guards fell to the ground.

"Shadow Bind!" As the guardians tried to grab them, they found that they couldn't move.

"Your shadows are bound to the wall now. You won't be leaving here for some time," Dusk informed them, coming into view as Ducky's Invisibility wore off. "Now let's get out of here."

"No," Littlefoot replied. "They captured me, and now they will pay."

One of the guardians quickly emitted a bright flash of light to blind them, but Littlefoot, recalling his previous encounter with them, had already closed his eyes. The others, however, were temporarily blinded. Littlefoot was about to open his eyes when another flashed the room, then another, making it impossible to see them.

"I don't need to see. I can sense your disgusting holy auras." He dashed across the room with his claws out, and four heads rolled onto the floor. As the light faded, Littlefoot said, "Let's go."

The five of them hurried out into the open to see Ruby and Spike struggling with some guards and others chasing after Petrie.

"We got him! Now let's move!" Dusk exclaimed. Petrie flew down to the others as Cera made him grow. They all, minus Starry, piled onto him and flew off.

"Thank you for everything, kid!" Dusk called to Starry as he waved good-bye.

"No, thank you for the fun," he replied, waving back.

The guards outside didn't understand what had happened, as Littlefoot still looked like one of them, so they stayed where they were. Soon, though, shouts rang out.

"The prisoner has escaped, and four guards are dead!" Ten guards then quickly took to the skies in hot pursuit of Dusk's group. They began firing beams of light, and Petrie started to swerve around frantically to avoid them. However, one hit his left wing hard, puncturing it and causing it to bleed.

"Rewind!" Menta called, and the wound healed.

"They will suffer for coming after me," Littlefoot declared. "Lightning of Torment!" A dark cloud filled the sky and black bolts started raining down.

Barriers then started to cover the guards as they continued the chase, and being struck by the dark magic didn't phase them at all.

"Magic protection, eh? No matter." To everyone's surprise, Littlefoot took a giant leap and landed on one of the guards. He extended his claws and dug them deeply into his back, puncturing his heart. As he started to go down, Littlefoot leapt to another and another, repeating his assault. When he got to the last one, the guard fired a bright flare, and Littlefoot couldn't close his eyes in time. He was suddenly blinded just as he jumped, so his trajectory was off. He started to plummet to the ground, but Petrie swirled around, dived, then caught him. Able to see again, Littlefoot fired a dark beam, but the guardian shot out a light one. The two attacks collided, and there was a huge explosion. Petrie went hurdling through the air as did the Celestial Guardian. The kids tried holding onto Petrie and mostly succeeded, but Littlefoot slipped off. Fortunately, Dusk grabbed him by the tail and pulled him up. The guardian had regained his balance and continued the chase, firing more beams of light.

Menta called out, "Stop!" and the beast froze in midair.

"Perfect," Littlefoot announced with a grin. He opened his mouth and fired another beam of darkness. It hit the guardian in the wing, destroying it, so he started falling to the ground. "Lightning of Torment!"

The guardian was too hurt to create another barrier, so the dark bolt hit him head on and he screamed in pain before landing on his head and dying.

"Me- so tired," Petrie panted.

"Understandable," Dusk replied. "Take us down to rest."

Petrie made his way to the ground, and everyone piled off.

"Oh, Littlefoot, I am so glad to see you again, I am, I am," Ducky said, hugging his leg.

Ignoring her, he turned to Dusk. "You saved me twice," he said.

"Think nothing of it," Dusk replied modestly.

"I'm going to show you my gratitude," Littlefoot continued.

"Oh, really, you don't have to do anyth-"

"With a swift and painless death." Littlefoot extracted his claws and pierced Dusk's chest, killing him quickly before taking off in a burst in speed. He knew better than to try fighting them all at once after being so tired from everything that had happened. Besides, he needed to get the stone from where he hid it before entering the clouds before someone else got it.

Dusk hacked up a bunch of blood, then stopped breathing.

"My lord!" Menta screamed.

"Can't you use Rewind?" Ceit asked.

"No! I- I used my cool down on Petrie in the air! Oh, my lord, my lord… No!" Menta began sobbing violently as she held her brother in her arms. "Why couldn't he have killed me instead! My lord… My lord… Nooo!" As she finished speaking, Dusk breathed his last.

Everyone hung their heads in silence except Ceit. He landed on Menta's shoulder and said, "Do not worry. Everything is going to be alright."

"How can you say that, you big fool! Dusk is dead! Now I'm- I'm all alone! Someone just kill me!"

"That won't be necessary," Ceit said comfortingly. "Your brother is only sleeping."

Menta smacked Ceit off of her shoulder violently.

"Don't you dare joke around at a time like this!" she roared.

Picking himself up, he replied, "He would be in an eternal rest if I wasn't here. But since I am, he may as well just be taking a nap. Don't you worry about a thing."

"What the blazes are you babbling on about?" Menta wanted to know.

"The power to Switch can work on things I can't see, just so long as I am certain they're there. Dusk is my best friend. He spared my life, and now, I am going to spare his. Please tell him that I was happy to do this, and I enjoyed our time together as his friend."

"Ceit, please explain what you mean, because we don't know what you mean," Ruby told him.

"I am going to Switch our life forces. His is dead, while mine still flourishes. When it's done, he will live, and I'll be the one who's gone."

Before anyone could say a word, Ceit said, "Switch," and his heart stopped.

With him dead, Ruby suddenly remembered about Chomper, but she knew that there was nothing she could do now. Dusk immediately opened his eyes and looked at himself. He could feel his heat beating again, and his puncture wound was gone.

"Oh, my lord, my lord!" Menta exclaimed, hugging him so tightly that he could barely breathe. "I thought I'd lost you forever."

"So did I. What happened though? Did your Rewind cool down finish?"

Cera stepped forward to give him the news.

"Ceit Switched his life force with yours, so that you would live, and he'd be the one who was dead. And he told us to tell you that he was happy to do it, so don't worry."

"What! No! Not Ceit. Not Ceit. He was truly the loyalist of us all." He gingerly reached over and picked up his winged friend, holding him close. He stayed that way for several minutes, and no one dared to say a word. Finally, he stood up and began digging a hole, and the others soon followed suit. When it was big enough, Dusk gently set Ceit inside and covered him up. Straightening up, he declared, "I killed his mother, so that makes us even. But mark my words. If he kills another one of my friends, he won't live long enough to regret it."

**Character Bio Number Nineteen**

Name: Winndia

Species: Rainbow Face

Gender: Female

Personality: Aggressive, loving, and helpful

Power: Lightning- The power to create bolts of lightning and electrical charges.


	21. Chapter XX

**Chapter XX: New Quest, Identity Crisis, and Restoration**

In which Rey begins a journey of his own, a fighter is not as appeared, and Ali comes upon new knowledge.

"Your highness! Ugh. Your-"

"No need to shout. I'm right here," Rey replied to the Rainbow Face who had suddenly burst into the palace. "Huh? What happened?" The king had suddenly recognized the guard as one of the ones he sent to stop Littlefoot and saw that his leg was badly injured. "I need a healer over here post haste!"

"Thank you, my liege. And it was awful. We were totally beaten by his dark power."

"Really? I thought the battle strategy combo I made was perfect."

A healer entered the scene and began healing the guard's wound.

Rey lowered his head then asked, "Are you- the only survivor?"

"Yes, your highness."

Slamming his fist onto a table in the hallway, causing the vase to fall off and shatter, Rey exclaimed, "It seems that brute force is going to get us nowhere. However, I was prepared just in case something went wrong. I believe that only one has the power to put an end to this." He quickly took off to the basement, but Reina stopped him.

"You're not going anywhere until you clean up that mess," she told him, pointing to the broken vase shards on the ground.

"Yes, dear," he replied quietly, stooping over to pick up the pieces. After disposing of them properly, he continued to the lower quarters of the castle.

"What are you up to?" his wife asked curiously.

"I'm going to put an end to Littlefoot's killing spree, that's what."

She gave him a perplexed look and decided to follow him to see what he was going to do. They reached the bottom of the stairs to find two Rainbow Faces working with some chemicals.

"Take us to Earth," Rey commanded one of them.

"Huh? Why are we going there?" Reina asked.

"Not you. I meant me and the psychic here."

"Your highness?" the psychic asked.

"I need you to help me find something in that world, and with your power type, you're the best suited candidate I know for the job."

"Begging your pardon, your highness, but I can only find minds, not objects. You said a while back that all the dinosaurs died off on that planet. Unless you want me to find some insect?"

"It's no insect, but you'll be able to locate it with your power nonetheless." After a look of utmost confusion, Rey sighed and said, "I'll explain when we get there. Before we go, however, bring a vial loaded with some of the extracted energy of the stone. We're going to need it." After he grabbed a tube, Rey and the psychic boarded the teleporter and the other Rainbow Face that was in the basement set the coordinates and off the two of them went.

"Rey must have some crazy plan," Reina remarked. Then she stared off into space and concluded, "I just hope it works."

xxxxx

Five more matches went by. Deathbringer and Tarren were still in the competition, and now it was Fiirawen's turn once again. She stepped back into the arena and was annoyed to find the Rainbow Face that had cheated in his first match and again when he was up next, due to being prepared to his opponent's ability. The young dragon was all fired to kick this cheater's butt.

"Next up, folks, we have the little power house dragon, Fiirawen!" The crowd went wild. "With her, onto the stage, is Reesius, the weather mage!"

"I know what you've been up to, cheater," she muttered to him.

"Quite a shame you can't prove it, huh?" he remarked.

Fiirawen gritted her teeth. "No amount of preparation is gonna let you beat me!"

"I don't need any help to beat the likes of you. In fact, I don't even mind of you use your giant form. Go right ahead with it, and I'll prove who's the dominant fighter here."

The young dragon paused. "You really don't mind me growing?"

"Not at all. Be my guest." With that said, the bell rang.

"I slightly shorter life span is worth it for a friend," she thought to herself. "Okay, you asked for it!" Fiirawen enlarged and filled up most of the arena. She swung her giant arm down but the announcer's voice made her freeze just inches away from crushing him.

"And the winner is: Reesius!"

The crowd started murmuring in dismay as the Rainbow Face bowed and began walking off the stage.

"Hold it!" Fiirawen shrieked. "Is this some kind of joke? How in the world did he win?"

"You have been disqualified for growing, dragon," the announcer explained. "It's against the rules."

"But- but my opponent said he didn't mind!"

"Well, your opponent is not on the judging committee, now is he?"

Fiirawen froze as a rage came over her.

"Then- he tricked me! I thought it would be okay if he didn't mind, and he knew that! He said that just to get me out of the fight so he'd win without dirtying his hands! Disqualify him, not me!"

"Fiirawen, please exit the stage. You broke the rules, and Reesius did not. There are many ways to win a fight, not just with brute force. Your opponent has clearly outsmarted you."

To that, the crowd burst into laughter, and Fiirawen turned very red. She shrunk back down to normal and tromped away furiously.

"Now we can't save Agu," she said aloud dejectedly.

Numerous matches took place, and it ended up being down to three combatants. Reesius, Deathbringer, and Tarren were all that remained. Deathbringer and Reesius would go next, then the winner goes against Tarren.

"Rainbow Faces and beasts alike! We're down to the semifinal match. Reesius, the weather mage against Deathbringer, the phaser."

The two of them entered the arena and the bell rang. Deathbringer faded into the ground, but Reesius was calm.

"He is coming up right below you," a psychic whispered to Reesius.

"Thanks," he thought back. The sun was shining brightly and beating down hot along with a strong breeze, and this made the weather perfect for Reesius' tactics. He focused and heated up the ground right below him. As Deathbringer suddenly rose from the ground, he was overcome by an enormous burning sensation, and he dove back into the ground.

"Did he know I was coming from below? Nah, lucky guess," Deathbringer thought to himself. He came up behind Reesius quickly, but before he could swing a punch, a strong wind blew him back. The weather mage didn't even look behind him. "How does he know where I'm going to be?"

But Deathbringer had little time to think as a fire ball came hurdling towards him. He quickly became ghostlike, and the attack went through him. He chuckled at the ease of dodging and charged at Reesius. Just as he solidified to attack, he was hit in the back with he fire attack.

"Wha-" he uttered as he fell to the ground.

"You didn't think I can only move my attacks in one direction after I shoot them, did you?" Reesius asked with a laugh.

The killer Rainbow Face was now fuming with anger, and he gritted his teeth hard. He just couldn't touch this guy. Reesius fired another ball of fire and it went through his opponent again. Deathbringer saw it loop around and made a dash for Reesius. He clenched a fist and was just about to connect when the fire ball went through him and hit Reesius, knocking him down. Now it was the weather mage who was angry.

"Just because I'm about to hit you doesn't mean I was solid again. You're fooled easily."

"Oh yeah? Take this!" Reesius concentrated very hard and shot off three fireballs that constantly zoomed through Deathbringer, back and forth, without stopping. "The moment you become solid again, they'll burn you. You can't attack now."

"Is that so?" Deathbringer sank into the ground, but the flaming orbs could not follow. However, they did move along the floor of the arena.

"Fool," Reesius said to himself. "They're fixated on him, so when he comes back up, they'll get him."

"He's coming up below you again!" his psychic friend whispered.

However, just as Reesius jumped back a small distance, Deathbringer shot up from below him. The fireballs converged on the spot, all hitting Reesius, as Deathbringer used his power, and the weather mage went down from the colossal burns.

"How? You were coming up below me and I moved-"

"I knew you would move back so I'd come out in front of you, so I changed my emerging point at the last moment so your psychic friend wouldn't have enough time to tell you my new course of action."

"Psychic friend? What do you mean?"

"Don't plead ignorance. There's no other way you'd know where I'd come up without one."

"Regardless, I will beat you!" Despite his injuries, he managed to stand up.

"I'm glad you made it clear you can still move so the match didn't end," Deathbringer said. "Your loss though." With that, he dashed forward, letting his hand pass into Ressius' skull, then he hardened it back up and ripped out his brain. "Heh. You couldn't react fast enough with so many burns. Thanks for letting me up my death count."

"And the winner is (no surprise) Deathbringer! After the arena has been cleaned, we move onto the final match!"

xxxxx

Fiirawen made her way back to Chomper and Coaley's room. They were both still sleeping soundly. The young dragon looked at his stomach wound. It looked awful, but fortunately, it was starting to scab over. She sat on the edge of the bed and was about to stroke Chomper's face when a hand shot up and grabbed hers.

"Don't you dare touch him," Coaley warned.

"Hey, I'm just concerned, that's all."

"Don't play innocent. I know Chomper has a thing for you. I saw him kiss you."

"What? Oh, that. You really shouldn't be so paranoid. Chomper likes me, but he like likes _you_. He didn't offer me a kiss. I asked him for one for good luck. That's all."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I'm sorry. I just can't stand the thought of losing him."

"I understand that. Oh, I have ill news. I lost too- didn't even make third place. We'll have to save Agu some other way, even if we have to break into the prison and bust him out."

"That wouldn't be too hard. Once we got in, I could just Warp us all out."

"Brilliant idea! We may have to do just that."

"Where's Niah, by the way?" Coaley wanted to know.

"I haven't seen her for a while. She said that she needed to take care of something and rushed off."

The girls' chat was interrupted by the announcer.

"The final match is here, and I don't want to miss it. You two keep getting some rest. Later."

"See you."

"Here we go, folks! The final match of this month's Stoneside City's tournament! On the west side, we have the silent but powerful Tarren, and on the east, we have the deadly Deathbringer. It's anyone's guess who'll come out on top!"

The bell rang through the air, signaling that the match has begun. Deathbringer, as expected, dived below the ground, using his sense of smell to guide him to his opponent. He came up in front of his foe, then behind, then on various sides. The young Rainbow Face kept turning to face him, but all the movement was disoriented the kid. Suddenly, he arose directly from directly below, but the child was ready. The instant his hand touched his foot, Deathbringer shot up out of the ground and into the air. He went higher and higher then dropped, but he became ghostlike and went through the ground, unharmed. The child then took to the sky, out of reach of any more attacks. Then, to the crowd's amazement, the airborne Rainbow Face tensed and the entire arena rose into the air as well! Deathbringer slid out from inside the arena tiles and landed on the soft soil below.

"No! How did he know I can't phase through nature?" he thought to himself in frustration.

The child moved the arena outside the stands and set it down. Then landed, prepared to battle. Deathbringer rushed his opponent, using his power on his whole body, walking directly into the child's body.

"When I become tangible again, my body will tear right through his," he thought to himself. To his surprise, however, he was shot into the air and landed on his back. "What! His power works on me even when I'm untouchable? Ugh. And now I can't hide anymore."

With no other option, he rushed the boy, faked a punch, then slid his legs down and forward, knocking the kid down. He body slammed his foe, knowing that it would daze the kid so fast that a counterattack wouldn't be possible. He quickly jumped off the dazed opponent and phased his arm through the child's chest, ready to yank out the heart. The little Rainbow Face's senses returned quickly however, and suddenly, Deathbringer's arm snapped.

"Ah!" he yelped in pain, jerking his arm out before he solidified it.

The child saw the distraction and used it, quickly grabbing his other arm, and it too snapped. Beaten, with both arms broken, he fell to his knees. When the child turned, however, he dashed and nearly succeeded in a tackle. Yet the young Rainbow Face was ready for such a sneak attack. Deathbringer was propelled back so hard that he flew backwards through the air and landed on his head. His neck broke, and he died right there.

"Looks like I brought death to Deathbringer," the child mused.

"And we have a winner, folks! The grand champion of our tournament is-"

"A fake!" a voice called from the stands.

"What have we here?" the announcer called back in confusion.

"Some girl tied me up and entered the competition in my place. And now I finally broke free," the boy explained.

The crowd turned to the cowled child on the arena floor. Standing up straight, she removed her face covering.

"Niah!" Fiirawen exclaimed in shock.

xxxxx

"Dusk, if you asked me to think about this, what I think about this is that I think we need a plan," Ruby said.

"Agreed. Even saving his life had no effect on his violent tendencies. However, I just don't know what to do," Dusk replied.

"Ooh, me want to help," Petrie thought to himself. "Me wish me knew what to do." Then his body flashed for only an instant, and his eyes widened. "Me think we need someone close to him to try reasoning with him. His mind has been taken over, but me think his heart s still reachable to the right dinosaur."

"That is an excellent idea, Petrie," Dusk complimented. "Which of you is closest to him?"

"Well, to be honest, I think Littlefoot is closest to Ali," Cera admitted.

"What!" she exclaimed. "I barely even know him. He's acted like he knows me before, but it was just weird."

"If Ali truly is his closest friend, she may be the solution to getting to Littlefoot's heart," Dusk replied. "I think it's best that she be restored to the way she once was."

"Um, my lord? What are you talking about?"

"Menta, contact Agu and tell him to remove her false memories and show her the true ones. She needs to remember everything if she's to awaken the good inside of him. However, make sure she still remembers what happened since I met her so she isn't totally lost."

"Right away, ma lord." Menta focused for a few seconds, then she opened her eyes. "Okay, he said he'll get right on it."

Everyone stared at Ali.

"What? What?" Then her eyes widened in realization. She started breathing heavily from the shock of her loss, but Ruby came over and wrapped her arms around her to comfort her.

"I know your knowledge must come as a shock to you," Dusk began.

"Don't say another word to me!" Ali screamed. "You stole me away from my family and became the cause of their death! I hate you! Leave me alone."

Dusk sighed as he looked for the right words to say.

"You have every right to hate me. But know this: This isn't about me at all. It's about saving Littlefoot, someone you really do care about. Just stay with me a little longer so we can help you get through to him."

Ali thought this over then replied, "Fine. But after Littlefoot is himself again, I never want to see you again."

"Understood," the Sharptooth replied. "Now, he can't have gone far. Let's all hop on Petrie here, and I'm sure we'll catch back up to him in no time."

"Grow," Cera said, then they were off.

**Character Bio Number Twenty**

Name: Freund

Species: Rainbow Face

Gender: Male

Personality: Smart, helpful, and caring

Power: Speed- Grants many times one's normal speed.


	22. Chapter XXI

**Chapter XXI: Source of Knowledge Amidst Perverted Healing**

In which Petrie understands the power he got, and Fiirawen has a bit of trouble getting Chomper fixed up.

"What a surprise, folks! Tarren wasn't Tarren at all. Let's see what the judges have to say." After a few moments, he announced, "Because this girl entered as Tarren and won, it will be Tarren who gets the reward. That's the rules."

"What!" Niah shrieked. Then her anger was replaced by grief, and she started to cry. "But I needed those stones _sniff_ to save my friend." Then she covered her eyes and fell on her knees.

The real Tarren shifted uneasily. Then he helped her up.

"Okay, look, just stop crying. I hate seeing a girl cry. How many stones did you need?" he asked her.

"_Sniff_ just two."

"Very well. I'll give you two of them then. You did win them for me, after all."

Niah burst up and hugged Tarren tightly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Ugh, I can't give you anything if you choke me to death."

"Huh? Oh! Sorry," she apologized, letting him go.

The two of them walked off together as he claimed his reward and gave Niah a couple, just like he said.

"Well, thank you again. I have a friend to save now. Bye!" she called, running off. Aeri took to the air, caught up to her, and landed on her shoulder.

"Uh, bye! I've never been hugged by a girl besides my mother before. I'll never forget this day," he said to himself, starting to turn red.

Niah reached the prison and told the guards she had the money to get Agu out. He told her to pay the Rainbow Face first then have her report back to him. She sighed in impatience and ran back to the bakery.

"Here's the stones that kid owed you," she said, tossing them onto the counter. "Now please go and tell the guards he's free to go." Aeri screeched in agreement.

"Sorry," she replied, not really sorry at all. "The sale ended yesterday, so now he owes me four stones."

Fiirawen suddenly entered the scene, flew up, and grabbed the fat Rainbow Face by the throat.

"It's been a nightmare getting you these stones. You aren't getting any more than this. Say one word, just one single word of argument, and my hungry belly is going to get satisfied real, real fast."

"Whew hoo! You tell her, Fiirawen!" Niah cheered.

"Uh, of course, right away."

"Say a word to the guards on the way over, and you're a goner," the dragon threatened.

"U- understood."

In minutes, Agu was free.

"Took you guys long enough," Agu complained.

Niah hung her head. She had a feeling Agu would still be his ungrateful old self, but in her heart, she had hoped that he would at least say thank you, even if he didn't mean it.

"Oh, Niah, how did you get that wound on your back?" Agu asked.

"She got it in a fight to earn enough money to set you free," Fiirawen explained.

"Oh," was all he said. As the three of them turned to walk away, Niah no longer expecting any gratitude, Agu added, "I guess I'm glad that you did this for me."

"Agu?" Niah began. "Are you actually thanking me?"

"Well, I uh, I guess so…" Agu was cut off by a big hug from Niah.

"You proved me wrong. To my surprise, I see that you really do have good inside of you! Way down deep."

"Aw," he said turning red. Then he tensed, realizing that that was partially an insult. "Hey!"

The two girls laughed and returned to Chomper and Coaley's room. Fiirawen took one look at Chomper's stomach and put a hand over her mouth. It was emitting a white goo. It was infected!

"I guess his kind heals a LOT slower than dragons," she said aloud. "I'm going to find a healer! Be back soon."

As Fiirawen left in a hurry, Coaley woke up with a start.

"You okay, Coaley?" Niah asked out of concern.

"I just had a horrible nightmare that Chomper was covered in injuries and suffering. Seeing him get beaten up so badly from his match gives me terrifying thoughts."

"Agu, please leave the room," Niah instructed.

"Huh? Why?"

"Because I said so," she replied, glaring at him.

"Okay, okay!" he answered, leaving.

Then Niah sat down beside Coaley on the bed gently so as not to wake Chomper. Niah covered him completely with the blanket then leaned her face closer to Coaley as if she was going to tell her a secret. However, Coaley would have never expected what happened next. Niah pursed her lips together and abruptly pressed them against Coaley's, kissing her strongly before the little Sharptooth could even object, and her eyes widened in shock.

xxxxx

"Me- need break," Petrie huffed. "You having me fly too fast."

Dusk sighed. "Okay, VERY short break."

They all landed, and Petrie added, "Me thirsty too. Be right back. Me see watering hole not far back."

"Is anyone else thirsty?" Menta wanted to know.

No one spoke up, so Petrie flew back slowly to the water he'd seen earlier. He took several big gulps and was about to fly back when two shadows passed over him.

"Huh?" Looking up, he saw that strange creature he had "saved" earlier being chased by an Aerial Screecher. "Me think he _really_ in trouble this time!"

With that, he flew up and blew a strong gust of wind at the attacking beast. It hit him, knocking him away, then he turned in midair and eyed Petrie angrily. He shot another wind attack, but the beast dodged it, coming straight for him. "Me wish me knew what to do!" he thought to himself desperately. However, unlike the last few times he wondered this, he did not flash and no idea came to him. Yet he managed to come up with an idea on his own.

"Come forth, Celestial Guardian!"

The same girl from before entered the scene.

"Stop that beast!" he commanded.

"Initiating refusal explanation: You broke free our prisoner who ended up killing several of us. There's no way I would obey you now." And with that, she vanished.

"Uh oh," he thought to himself as the Aerial Screecher was nearly upon him.

"Knock him down into that tree!" the other beast instructed.

Petrie obeyed, and the beast crashed into a limb, but he quickly recovered and came after Petrie once more.

"It no work!" he called to the beast.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," the beast replied with a grin.

Another beast emerged from inside the tree, all green with two arms and no legs who floated up to the Aerial Screecher angrily.

"A Wood Nymph lived in that tree. She must be furious at the beast who broke the limb. Just watch," the beast told Petrie.

The Flyer watched as the Wood Nymph floated up and shot a bunch of powder on the Aerial Screecher. He broke into a horrible rash, red sores covering his whole body. He quickly landed, pecking at himself all over with his beak.

Chuckling, the beast Petrie saved said, "He'll be occupied for a long time. Thank you for the rescue."

"Were you really in trouble though?" Petrie wanted to know.

"You must be referring to your first encounter. You clearly have a good heart, so I'll explain, but tell no one of this. I am an extremely rare beast and practically no one knows what we can do. I'm called a Knowledge Glider. We have two ways of survival, flying away, and being able to perceive the way out of a problem. We can bestow this power onto others, but it's only temporary. I like to find worthy folks and give them my gift for a while to help them in their life."

"Why keep that a secret?" Petrie asked curiously.

"Because then, we'd be bothered all the time by guys wanting the gift. Sharing our power has a whopping one month cool down, so we can't help often. Now please, I am trusting you with this knowledge because you came to my aid twice, despite one being an act."

"So that how me understand what to do so many times!" Petrie exclaimed in realization. "Thanks!"

"You're very welcome. Have a nice day now." And with that, he flew away.

Petrie then returned to his friends.

"What took you so long?" Cera asked him.

"Oh, um, me find creature that need help, so me did what me could." He hoped to avoid having to lie. To his delight, he didn't have to.

"Riiight, Petrie," Cera replied sarcastically. "I bet you just got lost."

Petrie only chuckled.

"Now that you've refreshed yourself, let's go," Dusk instructed.

"Yes, let's. Littlefoot is very close," Menta announced.

As they flew off, Ruby thought to herself. "Petrie has a good plan, but I hope the outcome is just as good."

xxxxx

Coaley finally jerked away after she got Niah's breath in her mouth.

"What _patooey_ what was that all about _blegh_?" Coaley asked in disgust. "I'm into Chomper, and even if I wasn't, I don't date other girls." To her surprise, Niah burst into laughter.

"You thought I did that because- Oh, that's rich! Tell me, do you remember what Chomper looked like when he was badly hurt?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't- Wait. I can't remember his injuries at all!" She looked down at Chomper automatically, but he had been covered by Niah. "What's happening to me!"

"Relax, Coaley. I didn't want your nightmares to continue, so I Levitated those thoughts out of your mind. The kiss was only a way to get my breath in you so I could do it."

"Thanks, but couldn't you have just asked? I can't believe I kissed a girl!"

"Would you have willingly given up any memories of Chomper?" Niah pressed.

Coaley thought for a moment, then replied, "Well, I guess not."

"Now don't worry about anyone knowing. Agu left, and Chomper is still asleep. Our kiss will be our little secret."

"Well, I have a request for you…" Coaley began.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Kiss me again, please. Now that I think about it, I really, really enjoyed doing it with you." Then Coaley leaned forward.

"What! No! I wouldn't kiss a girl unless I had no choice! Coaley, you're gross!"

Now it was Niah's turn to be surprised as Coaley took her turn at laughing.

"Now we're even for the shock you gave me from the kiss."

Niah smiled, sighed, and shook her head.

xxxxx

"Someone better answer me soon! I need a healer!" Fiirawen called out in the streets. Yet everyone went about their business, paying her no heed. The young dragon wouldn't give up though and kept shouting. Finally, her hard work paid off. A young, male Rainbow Face came forward casually.

"I'm a healer. What's up?"

"I need you to heal my friend's injuries, please."

"Well, you gotta do something for me then."

Fiirawen sighed. "What do you want?"

"I have a room at the inn not far from here. Let's go there, just you and me. The beds are the softest around. It'll be great."

"Huh? What do you need me on a bed fo- Oh. YOU PERVERT!" she shrieked. "We're not even the same species."

"Our bodies are similar enough to have a good time," he replied coolly.

"Okay, you want me alone? Fine, my friend needs the help. Lead me to your room."

"Really? Sweet. Okay, come on then."

Fiirawen followed the Rainbow Face to his inn room, then he sat on the bed, motioning for her to join him. Fiirawen cracked her knuckles and grinned evilly.

"Uh oh," the boy moaned worriedly.

Loud smacking and crashing sounds could be heard throughout the whole inn. Finally, they emerged, the boy covered in cuts, bruises, and black eyes.

"There. We spent time alone on your bed. Now, are you going to heal my friend, or do you want a little more 'quality' time alone with me?"

"No, no! That is quite alright! Just lead me to this friend of yours."

"Thank you," Fiirawen replied sweetly.

The door to Coaley's room opened, and the dragon and Rainbow Face entered.

"He's going to heal Chomper for us," Fiirawen explained.

"Why is he covered with wounds?" Coaley asked out of concern.

"Oh, he was just asking for injuries in exchange for healing Chomper."

Niah and Coaley exchanged confused glances. Niah then lifted up the blanket that Chomper was under so the healer could see, and Coaley looked away to avoid knowing about Chomper's wounds again. The boy knelt down and focused, and all of Chomper's wounds soon faded away.

"Thanks again!" Fiirawen called as the boy left and slammed the door. The loud noise finally woke Chomper up.

"What happened? Where am I?" he wanted to know.

"You lost your match, remember?" Coaley asked him. "Then Fiirawen brought you back here. Ooh, if I was there, I would have jumped in and gave your opponent a piece of my mind!"

Recalling the fight, Chomper was now relieved that Coaley had gotten drunk and missed the match. If she'd gotten involved, she'd've gotten really hurt too.

"Oh, did you win any stones to save Agu, Fiirawen?" Chomper asked.

"No, but Niah did," she replied.

"So you joined to help after all," Chomper said happily.

"Yeah. Your words about friendship really got to me. It was too late to sign up, but I managed to find my way into the matches," Niah explained, grinning as she recalled luring the real Tarren away and tying him to a chair.

"Uh, can I come in now?" Agu asked from outside.

"Sure," Chomper told him, and he came in.

Suddenly though, loud footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. Guards piled into the room.

"Dragon, you are under arrest for threatening a citizen and cheating her out of the debt she was owed. Now don't struggle and come along quietly."

"Crud, she must have squealed after I was gone," Fiirawen thought in frustration.

"Sorry, guys," Coaley told the guards, "but my friend here isn't gong anywhere with you. Bye bye! Warp." Suddenly, all the kids were gone, appearing outside the city.

One of the guards rushed to follow through the Warp hole, but another guard grabbed his shoulder.

"They could be miles away by now, and we're needed here. Just let them go, but if they ever come back, we'll nab that dragon." Unfortunately for those guards, none of them would ever be returning there. As the children reappeared on the outskirts of the city, Coaley had a revelation.

"Niah, you big goof! You didn't have to do that at all! Agu is an illusionist, remember?"

As Coaley's face turned red in anger, Niah put a hand over her mouth and replied, "Oops."

**Character Bio Number Twenty-One**

Name: Ace

Species: Three Horn

Gender: Male

Personality: Smart, leaderly, and strong willed

Power: Hunter- The ability to create various magical traps.


	23. Chapter XXII

**Chapter XXII: The Power of Love**

In which Littlefoot sees someone that he would have never expected to.

"There he is!" Ali called from above.

"Petrie, take us down!" Dusk ordered.

Worriedly, Petrie set down in front of Littlefoot.

"I let most of you be, so you come asking for pain? What a funny band you are," Littlefoot remarked after setting the stone down from his mouth. He then tensed for battle.

Ali, casually and unafraid, slowly stepped up to Littlefoot. She gently got in his face and said, "Stop this, Littlefoot. This isn't you. You're kind and caring, the best friend a dinosaur could ask for. You're being controlled by this power, but you have to fight it, Littlefoot. Fight it with all you've got! I know the real, sweet Littlefoot is still in there, trying to get away from this evil possession."

"Is that all you have to say?" Littlefoot finally responded.

"No, my friend. One more thing: I love you. Let's stop this killing and we can spend the rest of our lives together in happiness."

"Ugh, you're absolutely right!" Littlefoot called out, his face contorted with anguish. "It's been so painful killing guy after guy. My heart has been screaming to my mind to cease, but it paid my heart no heed. I want to stop, but I don't know how. Whenever I try walking past someone peacefully, all I can do is kill them at once. Please, help me! You've gotten through to my heart, but I don't know how long it will last. It's been so long; please, hold me," he requested pitifully. "Let me feel your love."

Ali's smile was warmer than the day itself from the joy she had from her success. She moved even closer to him and nuzzled against his side. Littlefoot's reaction to this, however, no one could have expected. His long, sharp claws pierced her breast in an instant, and she fell back, coughing up blood.

"Gotcha! Yeesh, you're a gullible group."

"Rewind!" Menta called out quickly, and Ali's wound was gone.

"It looks like there really is no hope. The Littlefoot some of you knew is gone," Dusk was forced to say. "To stop this killing, perhaps Rey was right and we really do need to stop him, permanently."

"Brave words, Sharptooth," Littlefoot replied. "However, you'll find that I won't go down as easily as my mother did. Get ready to die, again."

xxxxx

"You can restore Chomper's memory now," Coaley whispered. "And to keep things from getting complicated, better get rid of the ones from being in that city."

"Yeah, yeah, okay."

"Glad you're back, master," his heart whispered.

"Back?" he thought in confusion.

"Your memories were altered, and as a result, you spent a lot of time in that city behind you."

"Why didn't you tell me this at the time!" Chomper wanted to know.

"With your memories gone, you wouldn't have understood me if I had tried."

"Well, anything important happen while we were there?"

"Your bond with Coaley was shaken, but in the end, it grew stronger than ever. For a brief moment, thanks to that increase in strength, I was able to speak to her just once to calm her down."

xxxxx

"Ohhh. So THAT'S what spoke to Coaley when she was in her room," a young child realized. "When some random voice was trying to calm her down, I was all like, 'Who in the world said that?' So it was Chomper's heart, eh? Neat. Okay, time to see what happens next."

xxxxx

"That's pretty amazing," Chomper thought to himself. "Oh, nearly forgot about the mission. How far is Littlefoot?"

"I'm not sure whether or not to call this good news or bad, but he is close, very close. That way," it whispered.

"Come on, guys! Littlefoot is close. Let's hurry," Chomper told his friends.

The lot of them hurried as fast as they could through some trees, over a stream, around a hill, and across a field until they arrived at a fierce battle underway. Littlefoot quickly leapt at Dusk, but Menta froze him, then Dusk slammed him to the ground with a Shadow Pull. He got up quickly, however, extended his claws, and lunged for Dusk's throat. Menta's Stop spell was on cool down, but even if it wasn't, she couldn't have said it or Slow fast enough. Blood began dripping onto the ground. Dusk looked up to see a smaller Sharptooth standing in front of him with a torn arm.

"Looks I arrived just in time to be the one to save _you_, Dusk," Chomper said meekly as Littlefoot withdrew his claws.

"I suppose that makes us even then," Dusk replied with a grin.

xxxxx

"Huh? How does that make them even, dad?"

"Forget, did you? Dusk saved Chomper in part one from being killed by a falling tree."

"Oh yeah. Anyway, what happens next?"

xxxxx

"Chomper, long time no see," Littlefoot remarked.

"I don't believe it. This is the guy that killed my whole tribe!" Fiirawen thought to herself. "HE'S the friend of Chomper's that was possessed? Unbelievable."

"No way," Niah said to herself. "We've been tracking the one who killed my whole village! He's lucky Chomper told me he's not at fault but is being controlled. Otherwise, I'd kill him right now."

Aeri screeched in anger at the sight of the one who killed Niah's family, and he flew towards Littlefoot in a frenzy. Fortunately for the beast, Niah grabbed him by the foot, and as he looked back to her, she shook her head, telling him to let it go.

"Pity our reunion couldn't be under better circumstances, old friend. It's quite sad," Chomper replied, looking longingly at his buddy.

"Don't worry, pal. Your sadness will come to an end right now!"

Littlefoot rushed at Chomper, claws out, and Ruby screamed, "Chomper, no!"

xxxxx

"Uh, dad?"

"What is it now, son? This is the third interruption for this chapter. It's getting a little tiring. I was just about to read the most unexpected plot twist of the story. What are you confused about this time?"

"Oh, um, nothing really. I just need to use the bathroom."

"Fine, fine. Go ahead."

**Two minutes later…**

"Okay, let's see what's so surprising about this chapter, dad."

xxxxx

Littlefoot stopped just a hair away from Chomper's throat. He pulled his foot back and started breathing heavily.

"Littlefoot! What's wrong!" Chomper asked worriedly.

"It's probably a trap to pull you in!" Dusk warned. "Stay back!"

"No. He could have killed me right then, so he has no reason to bait me. Something is truly wrong."

"I can explain this, master."

"Go ahead, heart."

"As Littlefoot has killed over and over, his heart has been breaking down. It happened slowly because he was hurting random folks he didn't know, so there wasn't much sympathy at all. I can see in his heart that he attacked even Ali a bit ago, and that did a major number on his heart. Getting ready to kill you was the last thing his heart could stand. Now, it's barely beating at all. If Littlefoot isn't freed from this dark possession that's taken over him, he will die."

"Hang in there, Littlefoot!" Chomper exclaimed, rushing to his side.

Littlefoot's companions were terrified for their friend. They feared that they might lose him. He was gasping for air as his chest throbbed with pain. Suddenly, two other figures entered the scene, one who was familiar.

"Rey!" Cera asked in disbelief.

"We got here just in time. Great work," the king told his psychic friend.

"We won't let you kill Littlefoot, killing Littlefoot is something we won't let you do!" Ruby shouted to him.

"Relax, everyone. I've given it serious thought, and you all were right earlier. This isn't Littlefoot's fault. It's mine for not realizing that this would happen when I ordered the stone to be modified. But here and now, I am going to rectify my mistake. I brought someone that will undoubtedly break through the dark hold on Littlefoot. I brought someone who is currently resting inside my body. It was really a chore finding her, and we had to give her some condensed magic so she would have the strength to manifest herself again, and-"

"Rey!" Chomper screamed. "Whatever you're going to do, do it fast. He's dying!"

"Oh, right. Come on out now, miss," Rey said aloud. A visible flow of energy emerged from Rey's body, entering the clouds and beginning to take shape through them. Littlefoot looked up in awe as his mouth dropped open.

"M-mother? Is- is that you?"

"Oh, my dear, sweet Littlefoot. I am so happy to rest my eyes on my beautiful son again. You've endured so much, now rest and let my energy cleanse you."

Light descended from the cloud formation and rested on the little Long Neck. His eyes closed and his body dropped to the ground.

"Littlefoot!" Chomper shouted by his side.

"Fear not, young Sharptooth. He's only getting the sleep his body needs after his ordeal. When he wakes up, he'll be just fine and won't remember a thing. For his sake, please, no one tell him a word about what he did in his dark form."

"We promise!" Cera called up to her. "I just hope this never happens again."

"It cannot, child," his mother reassured her. "My energy cleansed his darkness to the core. He can never use this power again. Also, please don't tell him about me."

"What?" Menta asked. "You're not going to show yourself to him when he wakes up? He'd love to spend time with you. Any son would."

"Alas, my time grows short. My spirit was stuck on our world, but I ran out of strength to show myself any longer. Kind Rey here freed me and told me that once my strength runs out here, I'll move on forever."

"Can't you just give her more magic like you did this time?" Dusk questioned Rey.

"Sorry, but no. Condensed magic is like many diseases. After someone is exposed once, the body builds up an immunity. When her strength fades again, she'll be gone, forever. So do as she says. If Littlefoot found out that he missed being able to spend time with his mother again, he will surely fall into despair. As his friends, you must all want what's best for him, and ignorance of this is just what he needs."

"Thank you all for staying by his side through all of this. I love each and every one of you. And now, I feel that my strength is spent. Farewell, my friends." Slowly, the cloud formation of a Long Neck returned to looking like regular clouds.

"You were right, Petrie," Dusk finally said. "All he needed was someone close to get through to him." Petrie beamed.

"Huh?" Littlefoot asked drowsily, waking up. "Where am I? What happened?"

Ali came over to one side and helped him stand up while Chomper supported his other side.

"We went on a long walk, buddy, and you hit your head. You had us so worried, but we see that you're fine now," Chomper explained.

"Maybe not. I don't remember going on a walk at all." Littlefoot looked at all the faces staring at him, then he asked, "Where is Ceit?"

"He died, Littlefoot. Your head trauma must have made you forget that too," Dusk replied quietly.

"I am so sorry to hear of your loss, Dusk," Littlefoot told him.

"Thank you, but I'm alright now."

"Oh, and Dusk, there is something I've been meaning to talk to you about. I shouldn't have stormed away earlier when I found out about you and my mother. I decided to tell you how I feel face-to-face, no running away."

"Littlefoot, I can't say I am sorry enough for-"

"Wait, Dusk. I'm not here to scold you or complain about what happened. I'm here to forgive you. I forgive you for killing my mother. I've put it behind me, so, let's just be friends, okay?"

Dusk's eyes started to fill with fluid, but he blinked them away before anyone noticed. Littlefoot came over to him, and he hugged that Sharptooth tightly as he cried too.

"We've all had a long day. Let's get you all back to the castle where you can eat, refresh yourselves, and get some much-needed rest," Rey told them all. He tapped each one of them then said, "Transport."

**Later that evening…**

"This meal was wonderful, Rey. Thank you," Littlefoot told him.

"Don't thank me, kiddo. We have an excellent chef."

"Chef?"

"Someone who prepares our food."

"Oh. Well then, I'll tell this chef guy that it was great. Does that opening lead to where he is?"

"Yes, Littlefoot. You go right in. He's always delighted when someone loves his food, but he gets ecstatic when someone takes the time to tell him."

Littlefoot stood up and made his way into the kitchen to express his gratitude.

"So, he doesn't remember a single thing, right?" Rey asked quietly.

"Nope," Chomper replied as he looked down at the arm that had been healed. "He noticed that his dark magic was missing, but we told him that you changed the stone again which made him lose it. He didn't seem suspicious at all, so we're good."

"Excellent. Well, when he gets back, I have some pretty amazing news for you all. I'm only sorry I didn't think of it sooner. The stone is just so rarely used for this, it slipped my mind till just recently."

Littlefoot finally returned and took a seat back in his spot.

"How did he respond?" Rey asked curiously.

"He turned red and was all like, 'Oh, it wasn't THAT good. You're too kind.' It was funny seeing a grown-up get bashful like that."

"Heh heh. I expected as much. Anyway, I have some news that I think is going to please you all."

Everyone at the table, including Reina, leaned forward to hear it.

"I apologize for not coming across this idea till now. I know a way to put your lives back to the way they were before that stone problem ever happened."

"You mean make us normal dinosaurs again, without powers? Why would we want that?" Cera asked.

"No, no, you misunderstand. I mean, I know a way to bring everyone on your planet back to life, so you can return your lives to the way they were before you ever came to this planet."

"What!" Littlefoot cried in disbelief. "How?"

"How else, dear boy, but the Stone of Cold Fire?"

**Character Bio Number Twenty-Two**

Reference: Littlefoot's Mother

Species: Long Neck

Gender: Female

Personality: Loving, kind, and wise

Powers: Spirit Form- The skill to manifest herself as energy to speak and take shape through formable objects like clouds.

Purity- The ability to purify with the power of love.


	24. Chapter XXIII

**Chapter XXIII: Return to the Happy Past, Prepare for a Depressing Future**

In which plans and the future are discussed.

"Explain," Dusk instructed.

"It's quite simple, really," Rey replied. "You guys can just make a wish that you can have your old lives back as if this this whole mess never occurred. That would likely be the best wish, because trying to simply restore everything wouldn't fit in one wish. For example, you couldn't ask for both the dinosaurs of your world coming back to life AND Sharpteeth returning to normal, so it would happen all over again. So just wish for none of this ever happening, and you'll be back with your families."

The group's eyes widened in amazement.

"I'll get to see my grandparents again!" Littlefoot said longingly.

"Wait, if we wish for things to go back to normal, my kind will return to living off meat, won't it?" Dusk asked quietly, but he already knew the answer.

"Yes, but that is the way things should be. The circle of life is not something to be tampered with. Sharpteeth eat leaf-eaters, leaf-eaters eat plants, and when dinosaurs die, they become part of what makes plants," Rey explained.

"Okay, let's make this wish right now!" Cera exclaimed, overwhelmed with excitement of seeing her father, sister, and Tria again.

"I'm going to really miss you guys," Niah announced.

"That goes double for me," Fiirawen said sadly.

"Hey, maybe you could come with us," Chomper suggested.

The dragon and Rainbow Face exchanged sad glances.

"We belong in our own world, but thank you for all the time we spent together." Then Niah started to cry.

"We'll never forget you," Fiirawen declared.

Rey and Reina knew that if everything was returned to how it used to be, without any of the adventure's occurrences having ever happened, neither Fiirawen nor Niah would have any memories of this, but to keep from depressing anyone, they both kept silent.

"Don't worry, you two," Rey said to Fiirawen and Niah. "Reina and I'll look after the both of you."

"Okay, let's make this wish now," Cera said.

"Please, I ask that you all hold off on this for just a bit longer," Rey requested.

"Why is that?" Ducky wanted to know.

"I've decided to destroy the teleporter so that your world will never get involved in a mess like this ever again," Rey answered.

"That is a good idea, a good idea that is," Ruby remarked.

"Anyway, as a result, Reina and I will never get to see any of you again. Therefore, we went to throw a going away celebration for you all, a festival, to be precise. It won't take long to put together, and it'll be our final time to enjoy you all before we say good-bye. You guys don't mind, do you?"

"Well, I really want to see my family again," Littlefoot replied, and Rey's face fell. "But, I think I can wait just a little longer." Rey's countenance brightened, and he began making preparations at once.

"I would like to send as many invitations as possible. Do any of you guys have any friends you've met on your journey you'd like to come?" Rey questioned.

"I'm not sure what the town is called, but I made four friends there, three siblings named Rane, Clowd, and Winndia, and the governor's son named Freund," Fiirawen added.

"Ah, I know that town. I met the governor and his son not long ago. The place is called Sandwind City, from all the sand that gets blown there during storms. Anyone else?"

"Oh, almost forgot about Agatha!" Cera suddenly said. "She helped Ace when he was hurt. She lives near the Forgetful Falls."

"Gotcha. Is that all?" When no one said a word, Rey called in a psychic, gave him all the details, and then he got to work telepathically sending the invitations. "You all can go play or relax or something while the festival is being set up and your friends are arriving."

With that, everyone returned to the beach they were at before Littlefoot was taken over. The kids and Menta splashed in the water while Dusk lied down on his back, enjoying the rays of the warm sun. Menta looked over at her brother and grinned evilly. She concentrated her psychic power, then a huge wave reared up, hitting Dusk head on. He jumped, startled by the sudden splash, and began coughing and exhaling through his nose.

"Menta!" Dusk screamed in mock anger. He jumped up, looking at his sister, and said, "Shadow Pull!" Menta was pulled under the water and came up sputtering and laughing.

"Let's play a game," Littlefoot suggested.

"Sounds fun," Dusk replied. "Count me in." The others decided to join as well.

"Who's for tag?" Littlefoot wanted to know. Everyone was game.

"Um," Ducky began, "are powers allowed?"

"I say they are, but no Invisibility. That's too good to be used in a game like this," Cera told her.

"Okay," Ducky replied.

"Not it!" everyone called until they were down to Spike. "Spike's it!" they all called laughing.

Chuckling, Spike began to chase them. He started after Ducky, his sister. He gained on her very quickly, but she ran through a wave that had just rushed over the mainland, then she turned it to ice after she was through it. Spike slid across and fell onto the sand.

"Hee hee! You won't catch me so easily, little brother!" she called back.

Then he turned to Agu who was the next closest. When he was just about close enough to get him, he shouted, "Copy!" Two more Agus burst into the scene, and Spike froze, wondering who the real one was. He finally gave chase to one of them, but then it vanished.

"Ha!" he called. "That one was fake."

This time, Spike went after Cera. She ran as fast as she could, but Spike began closing the gap. She then eyed some seaweed, and it lifted into the air and wrapped itself around Spike's legs, causing him to fall. Getting frustrated and impatient, he tried Dusk. However, his Shadow Pull technique kept Spike from getting too close. The Spike Tail started huffing from trying so hard. Littlefooot noticed and felt sorry for him, so he ran towards Spike, and when he tried tagging him, he ran slowly so as to get touched.

"Aw, Spike got me!" Littlefoot called out as Spike grinned. The Long Neck went after Menta, but she kept shoving him back with her power. "Her psychic shove would pass right through me as water," he thought to himself. "Water, flow within my mind!" Suddenly feeling very tired, he lied down to take a nap. Everyone laughed.

"Someone really ought to tell him how he gets in that form," Dusk said with a laugh. They all decided to take a break and sat down in a circle. "Why not have a storytelling time to rest from our game?"

"Sounds fun, yep yep yep!" Ducky agreed.

"Who has a story to tell?" Menta asked.

"Well, I have one," Dusk replied. "It's called 'The Legend of the First Cold Time.' Sharpteeth tell this story to their children all the time. I thought maybe you kids would be interested." In response, everyone scooted up closer. "Oh, should we wake Littlefoot?"

"Nah, just let him sleep," Cera replied, impatient to hear the story.

"That is not very nice, Cera, no no no no," Ducky scolded. "I'm sure Littlefoot would love to hear it." With that, she got up and began pushing against Littlefoot gently. Though he didn't wake, he rolled over- right on top of her.

"Oomph!" she cried.

"Betcha aren't so glad you decided to wake him now!" Cera said with a laugh.

Spike came over and bit Littlefoot's tail gently enough so as not to injure it but hard enough to wake him up.

"Yow! Huh? Spike- why did you- bite me?" he asked drowsily.

"Because you are lying on top of me, you are, you are," Ducky groaned.

"Oh. I am- sorry," he replied, getting up.

"Hurry up and change back so Dusk can tell his story," Cera urged.

"Okay. Release." As Littlefoot returned to normal, he asked, "Why is everyone sitting around?"

"Dusk is going to tell us a Sharptooth legend. Hurry up and get over here!" Cera demanded.

Littlefoot quickly got up and took a seat in the circle around Dusk.

"Okay, here is the legend of why we have snow," Dusk began. "As you know, we experience cold times and warm times, but according to the legend, it used to always be warm on our world. The trouble began when the bright circle finally got annoyed about sky puffies blocking its light…"

xxxxx

"Get out of the way!" the bright circle shouted angrily to the sky puffies down below. "I want to bathe the world in my light, but you're blocking some of it."

"The world needs water too sometimes," the sky puffies replied. "We're empty now, but soon we'll grow dark as we fill with sky water, then we can give the plants below a much-needed drink."

"I don't care about a few plants! The dinosaurs need heat and as much light as possible, so get lost!" the bright circle ordered.

Then, a great wind entered the scene. It was good friends with the bright circle and asked what all the shouting was about.

"These sky puffies are in the way of my rays. Blow them away, wind," the bright circle ordered.

"If I don't water the plants, they'll die, then the dinosaurs will die. Then you'll have no one to bring light and heat to."

But the bright circle would not listen to reason, and the wind obeyed. Soon, the sky puffies were pushed over the big water where the bright circle didn't care about shining over. Then the bright circle shone as bright as it could to the world below, but the dinosaurs grew uncomfortable and begged for more shade. The bright circle couldn't just stop shining, so he asked the sky puffies to come back and give the dinosaurs some relief from his heat.

"You had the wind blow me far away," the sky puffies replied, "and now you're asking me to come back? I tried to help, but now you're on your own." The sky puffies were clearly outraged at the situation.

Back in the dinosaur realm, the water was getting harder to come by, plants were drying up, and creatures both big and small were getting burned from the heat.

"Please," the bright circle begged again, "come back before it's too late."

"I'm happy right where I am now, thank you very much," the sky puffies replied curtly.

The bright circle, out of fear for the creatures down below, told the wind to blow the sky puffies back. They struggled with all their might, but soon, the sky puffies were back over the dinosaurs.

"You can't force me to give shade!" the sky puffies, still outraged, told the bright circle. They drifted down to the ground, forming fog that created no shade for anyone.

The bright circle was getting alarmed. Dinosaurs everywhere were getting burns from its powerful heat, as shade was too scarce.

"What do I have to do to get you to return?" the bright circle asked desperately.

"You have greatly wronged me," the sky puffies replied angrily. "You'd have to do something major to get me back in the sky."

"Like what? Just tell me," the bright circle pressed.

"I want a job that can be as glamorous as yours. You cover the world in light and dinosaurs enjoy it greatly. No one thinks twice about shade or rain. I want to give the world something special that they can enjoy and marvel at."

"How can I provide something like that?" the bright circle wanted to know.

"I think that, if you tried hard enough, you could turn down your heat," the sky puffies replied, "so here is something you can do: When my water first starts to fall, the drops are solid and cold, but your heat melts them long before they hit the ground. If they were allowed to stay hard and cold, they would cover parts of the world, and dinosaurs could play in them. I want you to take a portion of time and stop providing so much heat so my hard droplets can stay the way they are."

"I've never tried producing less heat before," the bright circle replied. "But I will try." Concentrating very hard, the air began to lose its mugginess and began to have a chill. "It worked! Okay, I'll lay off part of a year so you can do this. What will you call this though? Hard rain? Cold rain?"

"No, I think a new name altogether is in order that has a nice sound to it and is completely original. I'll call it, 'snow.'"

xxxxx

"And that, "Dusk concluded, "is why it started getting cold and we have snow."

"Oh, are you talking about ground sparkles?" Littlefoot asked.

"Perhaps. It's more than likely that Flatteeth and Sharpteeth have different names for it. Snow are those white flakes that fall to the ground and turn to water if you touch them long enough," Dusk explained.

"Yep, that's what I was thinking of too," Littlefoot replied. "So Sharpteeth call it snow. Interesting."

"Me have question though," Petrie cut in. "How Sharpteeth know that sky water, starts off as ground sparkles? Err, snow?"

"Legend has it that a Flying Sharpooth was flying right under some sky puffies one day and saw that they were different shortly after they fell," Dusk answered.

"Ohhh," Petrie replied.

Suddenly, Coaley spoke up.

"I'd like to go on a walk," she said, "and I want to go with Chomper, just me and him."

"Sure," Chomper agreed, getting to his feet.

"Do you smell that?" Fiirawen whispered to Niah.

"Uh, no. What is it?" she replied.

"Love." Both Fiirawen and Niah giggled as the two Sharpteeth walked off into the distance.

"Chomper, I've been thinking. If everything returns to normal, I'll forget all about you," Coaley said sadly.

"Oh, you're right." Both Sharpteeth hung their heads. "Well," Chomper began to say, "Love is a powerful thing. It doesn't fade away easily. Maybe we'll meet again someday, and we can start over."

"I wish I was as hopeful," Coaley said sadly. "My parents told me that destiny is just a myth, so I don't believe in it. This could be our final time together. So, let's make it count."

"Okay, what did you have in mi-" but Chomper couldn't finish as she tackled him to the ground and pressed her lips tightly against his. They lay on the ground, sharing a kiss for a long time. Chomper had his arms wrapped around her, massaging her back as their mouths were one. Finally, they separated.

"I wish we could make two wishes," she said sadly. "I'd wish that we'd grow old together and have a family of our own, too."

"I'd like that as well," Chomper replied quietly. After a few moments of silence, Coaley broke it with her crying. Chomper came over comfortingly and wrapped his arms around her. Then it began to rain. It was as if the clouds themselves felt sorrow for the two Sharpteeth and were weeping along with Coaley.

"Let's get back to the others," Chomper suggested. "We might get sick standing here in the cold getting soaked by sky water."

"Warp," Coaley said, and they were back with the others.

"I was wondering when you'd get back," Dusk said to them, talking loudly over the pouring sound of the rain. "Let's get back to Rey's place."

Coaley Warped them back right away, and they reappeared in the dining room.

"Welcome back," Rey said. "The festival is well underway to completion. But now it's getting late, so you all should get some rest. By the time you wake up, things should be all set." When the group hesitated, Rey added, "Oh, right. Go up the stairs, turn left, and the hallway has bedrooms lined up on both sides."

The kids made their way to their rooms to get some sleep for tomorrow's festivities. They all slept soundly except Coaley and Chomper, still grieved were they of what their future held. Finally, however, their exhaustion overpowered them, and their eyes closed into a peaceful sleep.

**Character Bio Number Twenty-Three**

Name: Basso

Species: Drain Mouse

Gender: Male

Personality: Blunt, timid, and helpful

Power: Drainage- The ability to drain the energy of any living creature.


	25. Chapter XXIV

**Chapter XXIV: Time to Go**

In which the world's visitors enjoy their stay a bit longer then say good-bye.

"Wake up!" a loud voice rang through the hallway.

Everyone opened their eyes, but Petrie was so startled that he jumped into the air at the loud awakening. As the group flooded into the hallway, pleasant aromas filled their nostrils. They hurried down the stairs and entered the dining room to see it covered with food and drink, and there were Rainbow Faces all over, some sitting down at the table, while others were up and chatting away.

"Before the fun begins," Rey began, "we feast!" Everyone cheered, took a seat, and began tucking away at the wonderful food. "And nobody forget to thank the great chef who was brought here all the way from Sandwind City, Cocinero!"

Freund and Fiirawen, who had seen and greeted each other, looked up in surprise to see the Rainbow Face they had saved enter the dining room.

"It's nice to see you kids again," he told them.

"Likewise," Fiirawen replied politely.

Freund didn't speak at first. He was disappointed that he used magic to make his food taste good. His dream of being a great chef like him was shattered so hard that he was still unsettled. Finally, he spoke up, but the agitation in his voice was evident.

"This food tastes really good. It must have been hard to prepare."

"You bet it was! I realized back then that I was just an illusionist, not really a chef at all. So, I've been taking cooking lessons from some other chefs, and things are going well."

"Y- you mean, you made this food without any magic?" Freund asked in disbelief.

"I sure did. What do you think of the roast Silence Stalker?"

"It's great!"

"And the candied fruit?"

"Marvelous!"

"And the white bread?"

Freund hadn't tried that yet. He reached over, grabbed a piece, and took a big bite. It took every ounce of his strength to keep from regurgitating the morsel.

"It's- nice."

"I'm so glad to hear how much you like them! Ooh, I need to get back to the kitchen. See you around!"

"See ya." Then he spit the food onto his hand and subtly dropped it under the table. "Two out of three isn't bad for a beginner. At least he's finally a true chef. I want to be like him after all."

"Please pass me something to drink," Coaley requested. An old, male Rainbow Face lifted a skin up and poured some colored liquid into her glass. As she quenched her thirst, she began to giggle slightly, but no one took notice of it at first.

"Don't you think it's time you let your husband go?" Cera asked Agatha.

The old Rainbow Face sighed. "You are right. I'm sure he's learned his lesson by now." She looked at Fluffy and a white circle appeared below him. In moments, a male Rainbow Face stood before them.

"Whew, it feels so good to be me again!" he exclaimed.

"Choose your company wisely, or your pleasure will be short-lived," Agatha muttered to herself.

"It's just so nice to see you again, Fiirawen," Freund said to her. "I really missed you."

"I missed you too, buddy. And here's something to remember me by." With that, the little dragon leaned forward and kissed Freund on the cheek. His face turned as red as Fiirawen's scales.

"Oh boy! The guys back home will never believe I got kissed by a real dragon. Aw, but who cares? I'll know it's true, and that's all that matters. So, where do you live?"

"My tribe was killed, so the king is going to look after me," she explained.

"Oh… Well, I may have a better idea."

"Oh?"

"Live with me and be my sister! We'd have all kinds of fun together. I'm sure my dad would take you in."

"I- I'm speechless. I don't know what to say."

"Then let me help you. Say, 'Yes.'"

Fiirawen grinned from ear to ear. "Yes," she finally said. "After the party, we'll go talk to your dad."

"Yahoo!" Freund called.

Niah had heard everything and looked sad. It was going to be boring living in the castle with no one her age. Fiirawen was laughing with glee, but then she noticed the downcast Rainbow Face. The dragon whispered in Freund's ear, then he pulled back and nodded.

"Niah?" Fiirawen asked.

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to live with Freund and I in Sandwind City?"

"Would I ever!"

"This is a day I'll never forget," Freund said aloud. "I get two sisters, and one of them is a real life dragon!"

"What's so funny, Coaley?" Chomper asked, noticing her light giggling.

"I dunno _hic_. It just is, silly."

"Um, okay. Did you eat too fast, or something? I see you've got the hiccups."

"I do! _Hicca_! No way!"

As Coaley flailed around excitedly at the news, Chomper quickly reached back to keep her from falling off the chair. Chomper didn't have to wonder any longer about her hiccups. He sighed sadly, but also in relief. He knew that he couldn't spend much quality time with a drunk Sharptooth, but he also realized that at least Coaley wouldn't be thinking of the future so she could enjoy the party without being depressed. As the food passing came finally to a halt, Rey stood up.

"Attention! Now that our bellies are full-"

"Nuh uh!" Coaley interrupted. "I'm still _hic_ I'm still hungry!" Chomper placed a hand over her mouth so Rey could continue.

"We can enjoy some festivities. So our food can digest a bit, I've decided to start us off with things that require minor physical participation." When he finished speaking, two strong Rainbow Faces brought in a wide bucket full of water with a few pieces of fruit bobbing up and down in it. "The game is easy. Just reach in and pull out a piece of fruit- with your mouth only."

"Simple enough," Dusk remarked. He went first, leaning his head in, but try as he might, he couldn't get a grip with his teeth.

"I wanna go next!" Coaley exclaimed. She wobbly rushed to the bucket and put her head inside. However, every time her mouth got near a piece of fruit, she'd hiccup and it would push it away. "Come on _hic_!" she shouted in frustration.

"Is she-" Ruby began whispering to Chomper.

"Yep," he replied. "But I think it's for the best.

Coaley kept trying over and over again, but she had worse luck than Dusk had.

"Let me try, Coaley," Menta said to her.

"No _hiccup_! I gotta get one or I'll _hic_ I'll lose!"

Menta smiled in thought. Subtlety, she moved a piece of fruit into Coaley's mouth with her telepathy. Coaley jerked up to reveal the fruit and raised her arms in triumph. Then a strong hiccup made her drop the fruit back in the bucket causing a big splash of water that soaked Coaley's face and upper body. Everyone laughed, and Coaley laughed right along with them. Rey handed her a cinnamon bun which she wolfed down. Nearly everyone tried, but the only other one to win was Menta.

"Next, you have to pin this picture of a tail to this portrait of a Silence Stalker."

"Heh, too easy," Cera sneered. "The only way someone would have a problem is if he or she was blind."

"Exactly," Rey said with a smile. A Rainbow Face handed him a blindfold, then he asked, "Who wants to go first?"

"Me me me! _Hicca_!" Coaley exclaimed. Her eyes were covered up and she was handed the tail photo with the pin on it. She waved her arm around frantically trying to stick the tail where it belonged. She managed to pin it alright- right on Chomper's rear!

"Ow!" he cried as it fell out, immediately putting his hand to the hole and wiping away the tiny drop of blood.

"I did it!" Coaley shouted victoriously, taking off the blindfold. She looked at the picture, but didn't see the tail. "Huh? Where'd it _hic_ where'd it go?"

"It just fell off, Coaley, right over here," Chomper explained, picking up the tail picture.

"I can do it, no problem," Cera declared, and she was given the picture and blindfolded. She confidently stuck it in and took off the blindfold. She glared angrily at the tail in the Silence Stalker's eye. The others present chuckled slightly.

"Ooh, me want to try!" Petrie called out. He got a lot closer to the rear end than Cera had, but still not good enough. Ali got closest of all, just slightly too high for where the tail should be. Littlefoot grinned with an idea.

"I'll go next," he announced. He brushed his face against the picture, then pinned the tail perfectly.

"How-" Cera wondered in disbelief.

Littlefoot grinned but remained silent. He knew Ali had made a hole just slightly too high, so he felt for that hole and put the tail just a bit lower than it. The cinnamon rolls were starting to run out.

"One more game before the more physically taxing ones," Rey announced. "Someone has to think of something then reveal what it is without using words. We all have to try and guess what it is. The first correct answer is the winner."

"I'll pick some- _hiccup_ something out!" Coaley exclaimed. The others hesitated. It would be hard making anything out from a drunk child.

"Um, Coaley may I please have the honor? I'm sure you'd be so good at acting that the game will be over too fast. My poor skills would keep them guessing longer."

"Oh, _hic_ if that's what you wan- _hic_ want," she replied.

"Okay, I got something," Chomper announced. He lifted both arms into the air and slowly brought them down wiggling his fingers in the process. No one had an idea yet. Then he bent over and starting acting like he was sucking at the ground. Then he stood up and started acting confused.

"You fell down a hill then sucked up a berry that didn't taste as good as it looked?" Cera guessed.

Chomper shook his head and laughed.

"Ooh, I know!" Coaley shrieked. "It's rain- _hicca_ raining and you bent down to _hic_ drink some water, and when you looked up _hiccup _I was gone?"

"Uh, great guess, Coaley, but not quite what I had in mind."

"Awww! _Hic_!"

No one else had a guess in mind except for one dinosaur. Rey waited a bit longer, trying to give someone else a chance. When no one moved, he gave his opinion.

"You're at the Forgetful Falls and you took a drink and lost your memory." Rey didn't phrase his answer as a question. He was sure to be right. Chomper shook his head. "What!" Rey asked in disbelief.

Chomper laughed and said, "Nah, I'm just kidding. You're right."

Rey grinned and took a cinnamon roll for himself.

"Okay, now that we've all had a nice rest, onto the race!" he called. "It starts at the front door of the castle and ends when you've run all around and returned to the front door."

Chomper grinned, but it didn't last.

"Sorry, Chomper. Your super speed makes it unfair. You'll have to sit this one out," Rey explained.

Chomper looked disappointed but Coaley came over to kiss him. She hiccupped in his face and he frowned at the strong smell of alcohol in her breath. She finally managed to find his lips though, and he went along with it despite the odor.

Everyone took a position at the door and tensed to bolt away as fast as possible.

"Um, Rey?"

"Yes, Ducky?"

"May we use our powers for this?"

"Sorry, but no."

"Then I think I'll sit with Chomper and Coaley. I couldn't keep up with everyone else with my short legs."

"Me can fly, right?" Petrie question. When he got a no, he slumped down beside Ducky.

"Get ready!" Rey exclaimed. "Go!" Everyone took off like a shot.

"Would you four like a cinnamon roll?" Rey asked.

"But why? We did not win anything, no no no no no," Ducky replied.

"It's to make up for the fact that you can't compete in this."

"Then sure! Thank you, Rey, thank you."

Everyone got one and Coaley wolfed this one down like the last. She hiccupped right as she swallowed though, so started to choke. Chomper immediately hoisted her up and jabbed his fists into her stomach. She spit off the blob of dough all over Petrie.

"Yuck!" he shouted, starting to wipe himself off.

"Thanks for saving me, _hic_ Chomper!" Coaley said, giving him a big hug.

Everyone turned as the runners were nearly back. It was close, but Ruby managed to reach the door first.

"I'm not called a Fast Runner for nothing," she said victoriously as she was handed a roll.

The day continued with a rock throwing contest which Dusk won, a swimming race which Ducky won, a jumping contest which Ruby also won to Cera's jealous dismay, and finally, a game where everyone had to stand on one leg as long as possible (except the four-legged ones which had to stand on two). To everyone's surprise, Spike was able to stay that way the longest, and he nearly swallowed his roll in one gulp.

"That's all for today's festivities!" Rey called out.

Agatha, in her old age, had grown very tired and decided to head for home. She began looking for her husband and found him- talking and smiling to a younger girl. She approached them angrily.

"Kotto!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, uh, hi dear. This is-"

"Save it! I'm not blind." A black circle appeared below his feet.

"Wait!" he called out, but he was too late. When the circle faded, a Silence Stalker stood before her. She scooped him up and headed for home.

"No third chance," she whispered. The beast whimpered pitifully all the way home.

They returned to the castle to find Rane, Clowd, and Winndia stuffing bags with leftover food.

"So here you guys are!" Fiirawen exclaimed happily. "You're late."

"Sorry, even though the governor gives us free food, it can take a while to get an audience with him sometimes, so we've still been hungry every once in a while. Then we figured there'd be food here, so we hurried along," Rane explained. "It took us a bit to find our sister, but we did and found all this food waiting for us as hoped."

"You don't mind us taking any, do you?" Clowd asked Rey.

"Not at all. It would go bad if no one eats it up," he replied.

"It's good to see you three again," Fiirawen told them. "Sorry I didn't take you up on your offer and visit you, but I was on a mission I needed to get done."

"It's perfectly alright, dear," Winndia replied. "Is the party over?"

"Yes, we just finished," Fiirawen replied. She gave the three Rainbow Faces a big hug and waved good-bye to them as they made their way back to their hungry family.

"I thank everyone for making this festival possible," Rey told to her servants. They bowed politely in response. "This is all to commemorate these fine dinosaurs. Oh, and the dragon. They went through a lot, an epic struggle, to put things right. Littlefoot's struggle between his heart and mind, which he fought in vain, should also be acknowledged."

"Huh?" Littlefoot asked, confused.

Realizing his mistake, Rey quickly added, "Just kidding. I wanted to make sure you were paying attention."

"Oh."

"And now, it's time we said farewell to this courageous group."

Everyone from Earth took turns hugging Fiirawen, Niah, Rey, and Reina.

"We'll never forget you," Niah said, starting to cry again.

Chomper stepped forward and wiped her tear away. He recalled Coaley's theory of there being no memories of this adventure if everything returns to how it was, but he felt that now was not a good time to bring that up.

"You all take care of yourselves," Fiirawen told them.

"We will," Littlefoot replied.

"Okay, Rey, no more stalling. It's time we all went home," Cera declared.

"I agree," he replied. "Everyone come with me."

Everyone, including Niah, Fiirawen, and Reina, made their way to the stone's holding room.

"I hope you don't get too lonely without us," Ducky told the king and queen. "We've been through so much together."

"We'll be fine," Reina said slightly. Rey glanced at her curiously from her tone, and she added, "You see, I'm pregnant. Our family is going to grow very soon."

"What!" Rey asked in disbelief. "Are you sure!"

"Rey, I think I know my on body. Now let's get this wish over with."

After settling down from the news, Rey began to get the wish sorted out.

"Okay, we'll have to be very careful with the words used for the wish. The stone takes everything literally."

"How about we ask that everyone on our world was alive again?" Littlefoot asked.

"Two problems with that. One, it would get too overpopulated because everyone that ever died would be back, not just who died from Dusk's wish, and two, Sharpteeth would still be altered, so the death would happen once again."

"I think I know," Chomper declared. "How about we wish that nothing from your world ever came to ours? If that thief hadn't come to our world with the stone, none of this would have ever happened. I mean, then not even you guys would have come here, right?"

"Correct," Rey replied. "However, with a wish like that, Dusk will be dead, and Littlefoot and his friends may have never found the Great Valley. It was the spirit of his mother (thanks to the stone) that guided you all to there, and it was the power of the stone that brought Dusk back to life."

"Oh," Chomper replied.

"I know!" Coaley exclaimed, and everyone turned to her. "Oh, maybe I don't sorry." Then she giggled and hiccupped as everyone sighed.

"I think I may know," Rey finally said. "You all could wish I had found the stone instead of Dusk. Then no harm would have come to either of our worlds."

"Wait!" Fiirawen cut in. "That would mean that Niah's and my family would still be alive."

"Correct," Rey replied.

"I was looking forward to living with Freund, but I like my family being back a lot more," Niah commented.

"Freund will be so saddened," Fiirawen said gloomily.

"Not so," Rey replied. "With this wish, none of you would have met him. You won't remember him at all."

"Well that's depressing," the dragon admitted. "I really liked him. But, this is for the best. Let's get this wish made."

Agu was depressed as well, but he said nothing. He knew that he'd forget all about Ali, but he had grown close to her, so knowing he'd never see her again made him sad for the time being. He walked over and hugged her, but she backed away.

"What are you hugging me for?" she demanded.

"What? I'm just sad I won't get to see you again. Aren't you?"

"You're a fool, Sharptooth."

"Eh!"

"If you really cared for me, you would have told me the truth long ago, not kept me in the dark about all that happened. I hate all of you. Now leave me alone."

Agu looked angry and walked away with his back to her, but when he was certain she couldn't see or hear him, he let himself cry harder than he ever had before. No one else noticed, so he was left to sob alone.

Niah turned to the Aerial Screecher and gave him a big hug. "We won't know each other more, Aeri, but at least you'll have your mother and brother back."

Aeri whimpered and nuzzled against Niah then perched on her shoulder.

"Okay then, most of you have made a wish already. Out of our visitors, only Cera, Littlefoot, Petrie, Spike, Ducky, and Ruby haven't made a wish. Reina and I have already, so either Niah or Fiirawen will have to."

"They don't need to use up their wish on us," Chomper pointed out. "I can still make a wish." Rey stared at him curiously. "It's a long story, but trust me. You won't hear me say anything, but I'll be wishing right along with everyone else.

Rey wanted to understand what Chomper meant, but he knew his guests were in a hurry, so he just nodded.

"I was referring to you," Chomper thought to his heart. "You're separate from me now, so you can make a wish all of your own now."

"Ah, I hadn't thought of that. Brilliant, master!"

"We all ready?" Rey asked everyone.

"Ready," the group said.

"This is good-bye, master," Chomper's heart whispered.

"What!" Chomper thought back.

"Without the power of the stone, I'll be a regular heart again."

"Aw…"

"But worry not. I'll always whisper to you; it just won't be so loud anymore."

Chomper smiled, knowing his heart was right.

"Good-bye, everyone. I wish I could miss you, but with everything changed, neither Reina nor I will have any memory of this."

"That's not true, Rey," Reina corrected. "I spoke with the chronicler earlier. We'll always be able to enjoy this adventure."

"The chronicler, of course! You're the best, dear!'

"Aren't I, though?"

"Indeed. Now, it was an honor meeting you all. You won't know this after the wish, but the seven of you are heroes," Rey said to Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, Spike, Ruby, and Chomper. "Your combined efforts are going to save your world. The prophecy didn't work out, but you seven are saving the day nonetheless."

"Well, we couldn't have done it without our new friends," Chomper replied, and everyone the gang of seven had met along their journey smiled.

"Okay," Rey continued, "those who are making the wish, say, 'We wish Rey had found the Stone of Cold Fire instead of Dusk,' when I give the signal."

Then Rey motioned with his hand, and the wishers all said it at once, including Chomper's heart. The stone glowed, then the room was empty.

**Character Bio Number Twenty-Four**

Name: Heritor, the author of this story

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Personality: Perfect, creative, and awesome

Power: Epic Creation- The ability to create the coolest stories around.

(Hee hee, I'm just kidding. I'm not THAT conceited.)


	26. Chapter XXV

**Chapter XXV: Reunion**

In which old friends meet up with their children.

"There you are, Chomper!" Ruby exclaimed rushing over to him.

"You followed me?" Chomper asked in surprise.

"Of course I did. When we searched the whole Great Valley, I figured you must have went into the Mysterious Beyond. Spike was able to track your scent like he did a while back. Why did you leave us though, Chomper?"

"I heard you say you didn't like taking care of me," he replied.

"Huh? Oh! Chomper, that isn't what I meant at all. I love caring for you, I just didn't think I was good enough to do it."

"Really? Oh, I am so sorry," he replied, rushing over and hugging her. "I should have asked you and not just run away."

It's okay, Chomper, okay it is," Ruby said, hugging back. "Now let's get home. I found a hollow tree full of bugs you'd enjoy."

"Thanks!" he replied, following his friends happily back to the Great Valley."

xxxxx

"Here you go, guys," a large, dark green Sharptooth said to his companions.

"This looks great, Dusk," an adult, female Sharptooth replied with a light green complexion.

Agu and Coaley had already begun digging into the huge Long Neck.

"Oh," Coaley suddenly remembered, mouth full. "Thanks, Dusky."

Agu still said nothing, and Coaley poked him.

"Oh, uh, thanks, I guess," he muttered.

"Aren't you hungry, Ceit?" Dusk asked the Flying Sharptooth.

"Aye, Dusk, but I'll wait until the rest of you have had your fill."

"Very well."

The four Sharpteeth devoured most of their meal, then stepped back as Ceit started to dig in.

"You've stayed with me a long time, Ceit," Dusk began.

"Aye," he replied, still munching away.

"I feel that the time has come to tell you that you don't owe me for anything anymore."

"Thanks. I guess this is good-bye then," Ceit replied quietly.

"Well, I've been thinking and, I want you to stay. Not as someone paying off a debt though- as a friend."

"Friend?"

"Yes, Ceit. We've been through a lot together, and I value you as a friend. Will you stay with us?"

"I will, Dusk, gladly I will."

"Yay, what a touching moment, Dusky!"

"Okay, Coaley, that is the last time I am going to let you call me that," Dusk told her sternly.

"Oh…" she replied sadly.

"After all this time, and after what happened to your parents, I think it's time you called me- dad."

Coaley's eyes widened and started to fill with tears.

"That's right, Coaley. Before, I was just looking out for you. Now, I want you to be officially a part of my family."

"Oh, daddy!" she cried with joy, hugging his foot tightly.

"You too, Agu. Call me dad."

"Uh, about that…"

"You don't want me to be your father?"

"Oh, it's not that. You're great and all, but I haven't been honest with you. My parents are still alive. I ran away because they wouldn't give me a brother or sister. Are you mad at me?"

"Very much so," Dusk growled, and Agu was about to cry. "Ha ha, no, I'm just teasing you, son. I'd be pretty upset if I didn't have a sibling too," he finished, looking at Menta lovingly. "Although, I think you should returned to them now. After all the time you've spent with me, they must be worried sick. Do you remember where they live? I'll take you home right now."

"Thank you, Dusk," Agu replied, showing true gratitude that surprised them all.

"I'll be back in a bit," Dusk said to the others. With that, Dusk escorted Agu back to where his parents lived. When they arrived, Agu looked all around frantically.

"Mom! Mom! Dad? Are you guys around?" There was no reply, and the little Sharptooth looked down sadly. His parents were gone.

"Oh, Agu, I'm so sorry," Dusk began. "I'm still willing to be your fa-"

"Agu? Agu, is that you?" a voice called from around the cliff wall.

"Mom!" Agu shrieked with joy. However, not just his mother but his father as well came from around the bend.

The parents hugged their son happily. "Where have you been, my dear little boy?" she asked through her tears of joy, scooping up her son.

"I'm so sorry, mom, dad. I got angry that I couldn't have a brother or sister so ran away. I've been living with Dusk here. He's been taking of me."

"We are in your debt, sir," Agu's father said to Dusk.

"No need for that. He was a pleasure."

"Really?" his dad asked jokingly.

"Well…"

"Dusk!" Agu exclaimed. All three of the adults laughed.

"I'm just kidding, Agu," Dusk replied. Then he patted him on the head and left.

"Good-bye, Dusk! I appreciate everything!" Agu called as he waved.

"See ya around, kiddo."

When Dusk was gone, she set their son down so he could be told something.

"Son," his father began, "we'd been thinking a lot about giving you some playmates lately. We realized that you were acting out just from being too lonely. So in preparation for your return, as we both knew we'd see you again, we had another litter, and they're just about to hatch."

"Really! Take me there. I want to see them," Agu said excitedly.

His parents led him around to a place below a cliff under hang and revealed a nest with two eggs. They were covered with grass, but anyone could tell that they were moving.

"Wow! I'm about to be a big brother!" Agu exclaimed. In mere seconds, one of them broke open and little girl came out. Agu scooped her up lovingly, then the other egg broke open, and out popped another girl. "Two sisters! This is great. I'm going to be the best big brother ever," he declared, scooping up the other one. He cradled them in his arms and started to cry from being so happy.

xxxxx

"Are you all up for a little stroll?" Dusk asked his companions.

"Sure, daddy!" Coaley exclaimed. Then she giggled. "It feels so good to call you that."

Everyone started to walk, Dusk leading. It was a beautiful day. The bright circle was shining down brightly, and no sky puffies were in the way. There was a gentle breeze that cooled the travelers' faces. As they walked past several blooming flowers, Coaley stopped, bent down, and began taking in their potent but delightful aroma. It seemed the perfect day, but nothing is really perfect. The ground suddenly started to shake violently.

"Coaley!" Dusk screamed, looking back. The ground suddenly broke open between her and the others.

"I'll get her!" Ceit called as she started flying towards her. However, a large tree was uprooted and slammed into him as he flew by. He fell the ground with a thud and Dusk ran over to him.

"I'm alright, Dusk. Just a hurt wing."

Dusk looked frantically at his daughter, then called out, "Don't worry, Coaley! We'll find a way over to you. Don't panic."

Coaley was afraid and started to cry, but she nodded and tried to relax. Dusk put Ceit on his shoulder and the rest of them started following the huge gap between them.

"Should I follow from this side?" Coaley shouted over.

"No, just stay there, kiddo! I don't want you getting hurt, so don't move, okay?"

"Okay."

Soon, Dusk and the other vanished from sight.

"I hope they get across soon," Coaley thought to herself. "I don't like being alone."

She sat there with her knees up and her arms wrapped around them, rocking gently back and forth, scared and lonely.

"Hey, I see someone!" an unfamiliar voice rang through the air.

Coaley stood up at once as seven figures strode towards her.

"What are you doing out here all alone?" Littlefoot asked Coaley.

She shook her head in reply. She didn't understand him.

"Allow me," Chomper said to Littlefoot. Speaking Sharptooth, he asked, "What are you dong out here all alone?"

"I got separated from my family during an earthshake."

"Wow, look at that huge gap!" Cera exclaimed. "We felt a small rumbling, but it must have been major over here."

"Would you like us to stay with you until your family comes back?" Chomper asked her gently.

"Please," she replied. Chomper sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her neck. After about a minute, she leaned against him.

"Thank you for being here for me," Coaley said. "You're so sweet."

Chomper turned a bit red and only leaned back in reply.

"Aw, they look so cute together," Ducky remarked.

"What did she say?" Coaley asked curiously.

"Uh, she said it's a nice day," Chomper replied.

"Will you be my friend?" Coaley asked him suddenly.

"I- well sure," he replied. He was a bit shocked at first. He had tried making friends with other Sharpteeth long ago, but it didn't work out. Now, just like that, he had succeeded. "My name is Chomper, by the way. What's yours?" he asked the black Sharptooth.

"It's Coaley. Pleased to meet you, Chomper. Um…"

"What is it?"

"When my family comes back, will I ever see you again?"

"I- I don't know. Where do you live?"

"See that big mountain over there? That's my home."

"Ruby, would you be okay with me visiting Coaley sometimes?"

"Only if I come along too to keep an eye on you," came her reply.

"Did she say it was okay?" Coaley asked, assuming he had asked permission.

"Yup."

"Yay! I can't wait till we meet again." Suddenly, they all heard footsteps approaching- loud ones. The leaf-eaters cowered as two huge Sharpteeth came forward with a Flying Sharptooth on one of their shoulders.

"Well, it looks like dinner is all ready," Dusk said, licking his chops.

"Is that your family?" Chomper asked.

"Uh huh. Uh oh, dad looks hungry. I'll ask him to leave your friends alone."

"Thanks."

"Dad, I'm so glad you're back!" Coaley exclaimed, rushing over and giving him a big hug, and Dusk nuzzled back. "Oh, and would you please not eat them? They're pals of my new friend Chomper."

"Well, if that's what my little girl wants, I'll let them be."

"Thank you, daddy."

"Well, I think we had enough of a walk for one day. Let's head back," Dusk instructed.

As they turned to leave, Coaley waved back to her new friend, and Chomper waved back. The seven children returned to the Great Valley and decided to rest from their long walk. As they cooled their feet in a watering hole, a figure entered the valley and stood behind them.

"Excuse me," he said, and the lot of them turned to see a young boy, a Three Horn. "Whoa, a Sharptooth!"

"Don't worry," Littlefoot said quickly. "He's friendly and wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Well, if you say so. Anyway, I'm new to the area. My family was killed in a fire a while back, and I would like a place to stay. Am I welcome here?"

"Well sure," Cera replied. "I'm Cera by the way. What's your name?"

"Oh, sorry, it was rude of me not to introduce myself. The name's Ace."

"I'll talk to my dad and Tria. I bet they'll let you stay with us," Cera announced.

"That would be great. Thank you, Cera." The smile Ace gave her made the Three Horn blush as she went to find her family.

**Several years later…**

"Dad! Hey dad!" a young Sharptooth called.

"Yes, what is it, Nibbler?" Chomper asked.

"Isn't this big reunion supposed to have started already? I'm bored."

"You're always bored, Nibbler," his sister said with a laugh.

"You be quiet, Grinny!"

"Now, now, kids. Settle down," their mother told them.

"To answer your question, I guess they're just running a bit late. Do you see anyone, dear?" Chomper asked.

"Nope, no one," Coaley replied. "Oh wait, I see _someone_ moving way over that way. Can you make out who it is?"

"Uh," Chomper began, squinting against the bright circle light. "Oh, it's them! The tall one is clearly Littlefoot. Okay, kids, be on your best behavior."

"Yeah, bro."

"Shut up, Grinny!"

"Shhh!" Coaley told them both.

As the travelers in the distance arrived at where the four Sharpteeth were standing, Chomper came over and gave one of the huge Long Necks a big hug.

"It's been too long, old friend," Chomper told him.

"Indeed, Chomper, it has," Littlefoot replied. "When that brown Flying Sharptooth arrived with that message from you, I was delighted. So he can speak leaf-eater now?"

"No. I just taught Ceit the few phrases I wanted him to deliver. Anyway, would you look at you! You're even taller than your father now, aren't you?"

"Just a bit, but yes I am. You remember Ali, don't you?"

"You bet I do. So you coupled up with her after I moved out, eh?"

"Yep. And this is my son, Bron junior."

A tiny Long Neck stepped out from behind Littlefoot's giant foot and said meekly, "Hi."

"Hello there, little one," Chomper replied. "So you named him after your dad. Nice. And I would assume you remember the Sharptooth I met after that earthshake, don't you?"

"Oh, so you got together with her, did you? I thought she looked familiar. She's as beautiful as ever," Littlefoot complimented, and Coaley blushed. "Can your family understand us?"

"Sure can. I taught them your language long ago. It wasn't easy, but they got the hang of it. And these are my children, Nibbler and Grinny." Chomper's kids stepped forward proudly.

"You certainly have a way with names," Littlefoot said with a laugh.

"Heh heh, well, the first thing my son did when he hatched was to nibble on his sister, and Grinny came out smiling already, so the names fit perfectly. Oh, and it's nice to see you again, Ali."

"Likewise," she said.

"I am glad to see you again too, Chomper," a Flyer said, cutting in.

"Hey Petrie, I'm glad to see you t- Wait, did you just say 'I' instead of 'me'?" Chomper asked in surprise.

"The wife got annoyed with my bad grammar really fast, so she set me straight." Then when his mate gave him a smirk, he added, "Though she did it lovingly." Then he nuzzled against the female Flyer. "We don't have any kids yet though. We decided to wait."

Just then, the Swimmer on the ground came forward and hugged Chomper's leg.

"I've missed you, Chomper, I have, I have."

"And I've missed you, Ducky. Did you ever find a mate?"

"Nope. I decided I'd be happier without one, just me and my brother Spike."

At the mention of his name, he grunted. Chomper could clearly see the Spike Tail still wasn't keen on talking.

"Here's our daughters," Cera said, stepping forward. "The younger is Charger, and our firstborn is Cera the second. That has a nice sound to it, doesn't it?"

"It sure does," Chomper agreed.

"I'm the best Three Horn in the Great Valley, too," Cera the second said proudly, causing her sister to sigh.

"She clearly takes after her mother!" Chomper joked as he laughed, and Cera rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, this is my husband, Ace. You remember him coming to the valley shortly after you met your wife, remember?"

"I sure do. It's good to see you again, Ace."

"The feeling is mutual," the Three Horn replied.

"Alrighty," Chomper began, "why not all you kids go and play so I can catch up with the grown-ups?"

There were cheers all around, as the kids had grown very bored. They ran off, found a pine cone, set up goals, divided into teams, then started to play.

The grown-ups talked well into the evening, so the bright circle became very low.

"Are your grandparents still around?" Chomper asked Littlefoot.

"They were strong, but not that strong. Age finally did them in. They went peacefully, and fortunately, they died very close together so my grandmother didn't have to grieve for very long." Chomper quickly expressed sympathy for his loss.

"Well, it's getting late, so you guys should probably be getting your kids home," Chomper finally said. "It was great to see all of you again. We should meet up again soon."

"I agree," Littlefoot said, and the others nodded.

The leaf-eaters gathered their children and made their way back to the Great Valley. Chomper and Coaley's kids returned to their parents and sat down to rest from their tiring day of play.

"This day was awesome! I've never had so many kids to play with at once," Nibbler remarked.

"For once, brother, surprising as it is, I have to agree with you."

"Thanks. Wait. Hey!"

"It's getting late, kids. I'll grab us some dinner then we can eat and get some rest." With that, Chomper gave his wife a kiss and left to hunt.

"Dad is so cool," Grinny said. "How did you end up meeting him? I never thought to ask before."

Coaley looked at her daughter and smiled. "Well, dear, let's just say, it was destiny."

**Ending song:**

_We will follow you!_

_Over fields and streams,_

_Across mountains tall._

_Our passion for you really teems._

_We will follow you!_

_We'll stay by your side!_

_Your life to us means everything._

_We don't care what you do;_

_Hear our love as we sing._

_We'll stay by your side!_

_Our hearts won't fail,_

_Through the strongest gale._

_We're your friends today,_

_And allies we will stay!_

_We will care always!_

_We could never hate you._

_Forever we'll support,_

_Whatever path you go through_

_We will care always!_

_We believe in you!_

_It's clear you do what's right._

_Our bonds can survive anything,_

_Even the meanest fight._

_We believe in you!_

_Our hearts won't fail,_

_Through the strongest gale._

_We're your friends today,_

_And allies we will stay!_

_Whenever you need us,_

_No matter the case,_

_We'll come to your aid,_

_In any old place._

_Whatever the struggle,_

_We'll keep up the pace._

_Our friendship will last forever!_


	27. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

In which a child learns something new about his parents and has a lasting memory.

"And that, my son, is The Legend of the Seven Heroes," his father concluded.

"Wow. That was some story," the child had to admit.

"Now, you'd better get to bed before the drug wears off and your mother-"

"REY!" a voice boomed through the castle. The child's father froze in terror.

"Ah, Reina…" he said as she walked into the room.

"Don't 'Ah, Reina' me! You drugged me so you could read to him, didn't you?"

"Well, you see, I- that is to say-"

"Not a single servant is doing a thing tomorrow. You're going to fill in for every one of them, and you will NOT complain about your back at the end, understood?"

"Yes, dear."

The child laughed. "You two argue just like the Rey and Reina in the book."

"Son, that's actually an untrue statement," Rey replied.

"Huh?"

"You see, we ARE the Rey and Reina from the book."

"What! You and mom are the ones in that storybook adventure? Does that mean it all really happened?"

"Yes, son. That book isn't fiction," Rey explained.

"But how? When the adventure was undone from that wish, everything should have changed back like it never happened, so this book shouldn't exist."

"Don't you remember your mother mentioning someone called the chronicler?"

"Oh, yeah, who or what is that?"

"It's someone who has the power of omnipotent sight. Reina asked him to record everything that happened in the adventure, and he used his power to see all the events that took place so we'd always have a reminder of what took place long ago."

"But that still doesn't make sense. Since the events were undone, the book should have vanished from existence."

"Your mother already thought of that. There is a very rare material that is magic proof. The book was written using it as pages, so when the Stone of Cold Fire magically changed everything back, the book was unaffected."

"Wow, that's amazing."

"I'm not going to wait any longer," Reina finally said. "Get to bed, Rey. You have a long day ahead of you."

"Yes, dear."

"Now don't you forget to clean this mess up tomorrow, son," Reina instructed, then they both left the room.

The young boy pulled up his covers but couldn't get to sleep. His mind was full of all the things that happened in the adventure that his parents were in.

"The Legend of the Seven Heroes," the boy said to himself. "What a story. I'll remember it for as long as I live." And as time went by, he kept true to his word. After all, an adventure so full of love, determination, and friendship, who could ever forget?

**The End**

**To be continued in, wait, this is the last part. So long!**

**Thank you for reading. The Land Before Time and all affiliated characters belong to Universal Cartoon Studios. Any characters that did not appear in a movie or television episode are owned by me.**

Special extra: Behind the scenes of The Land Before Time Heroes trilogy

Howdy, folks. Heritor here. To conclude my trilogy, I am going to share with you some of my inspiration behind a lot of the ideas, as well as some things that never made the final cut.

Let's take Dusk, for starters. I based him around Petrie's uncle Pterano from The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire. He was not really a bad character, actually having a good heart, but he did things he shouldn't've to reach his goals. That is just like how Dusk started out. He wanted to help his kind, but did some things that were wrong.

A lot of other characters were reflections of various aspects of myself:

When I am close to someone, I can get obsessively dedicated, which is how Menta was. She took her bond with Dusk to the extreme, even to the point of wanting to die if he did.

Coaley was basically me as a very young child. Innocent and energetic, friendly and easily jealous. Portraying Coaley took me back down a long trip on memory lane.

Agu was me as I got older and became a teenager. I had a very bad attitude and complained a lot. Agu was more or less a phase I went thought growing up that I'm not proud of.

Ceit reflects my go-with-the-flow, not against it, personality. He did whatever he was told without question, and when people ask something of me, it's hard to say no.

Now, a lot of names in my story are words that describe a dominant trait of the character, mostly all in another language. Agu is the Japanese onomatopoeia for a biting or chomping sound, and being as he snapped at Chomper in the episode The Lonely Journey, I felt that the name fit. As for the other language ones:

Rey is Spanish for king, as he was the king in the story.

Reina is Spanish for queen, as she was the queen in the story.

Enganar is Spanish for deceive, as his only scene in the story was to deceive Dusk in that tunnel.

Basso is Italian for short in height, as he was a Drain Mouse, a very small beast.

Mudo is Spanish for mute, as he couldn't talk but instead communicated telepathically.

Cocinero is Spanish for chef, as he was a chef for a living.

Freund is German for friend, simply because he was a friend that Fiirawen made.

A lot of the character types in my story are roughly or mostly based off of Final Fantasy classes. Ali danced to strengthen her allies in battle, just like the songstress class in Final Fantasy X-2. The weather mage type in my story is based off the geomancer class, found mostly in Final Fantasy Tactics games, and their spells are based off of the current weather. The alchemist is slightly different than the alchemist in Final Fantasy. In FF, alchemists can use a single item over and over. In my story, they can make duplicates of any item. Menta's time power is roughly based off of the Final Fantasy's time mage, or green mage in some games. They can slow and stop, but I don't recall the rewind ability Menta had in any FF games. Coaley's warp ability is roughly based off of the black mage ability from FF. In some games, warp returns the party to previous floors of a dungeon, but Coaley can warp her and her party members to any place she has been before, and leaving a warp hole behind was another thing I added. Ruby's ability to change her body chemistry to something she touches is something I saw in the pink ranger from Power Rangers S.P.D. and Kevin Eleven in Ben Ten. Petrie's ability to summon is much like the FF summoner class, although sometimes in my story, the summoned creature will not obey.

Having Ali's mind altered to obey the antagonist group of the story was inspired by the PlayStation game Lunar: Silver Star Story, the way Luna was controlled by the Magic Emperor.

Originally, Littlefoot didn't just change his body color and personality, but instead his whole body changed into a different type of dragon depending on his element. So at first, his dark form had these jagged wings of flesh and his light form had these feathery wings. His fire form gave him two sets of blazing wings, while his water form covered his body in fins. In the end, I felt entire body changes were overkill, so other than the couple fins Littlefoot got in his water form, only his color and personality changed, though in part three, his colors don't change anymore.

Rhett was going to end up visiting the Rainbow Face world as well, and he was going to be given powers based off of the gambler class from Final Fantasy. When he would cast his magic, there was going to be some random effect, but it would usually be a negative one to make things worse, so he was going to act as on and off comic relief in the story. He was going to side with Dusk to be with Ali, but as I came along in the story, I just couldn't find enough room, so he never made the final cut.

Another thing I had planned to do at first was make all the fighting scenes play out like an RPG, like with battle announcements, spell text, leveling, and weapons. Also, I was at first going to make all the creatures in the story come directly from Final Fantasy games. In the end, I felt the story didn't flow the right way, so I made the fighting more like you'd see in a typical adventure story and mostly thought up my own creatures. Here is one of the scenes that never made the final cut, since I removed the RPG feel and most weaponry from the fighting:

**Chapter X: Combat 101**

In which the gang of seven learns how to fight.

_**~Transport~**_

There was a flash of light, and a blue blob appeared before the group. It had yellow eyes and a gaping mouth. Ducky and Petrie screamed and they all backed up.

"Stop!" Reina commanded. "You're here to practice fighting, not running."

"Who's running?" Cera asked. "I'll take that thing on. Maybe I'll wake up afterwards."

"Lesson one- your regular attack. When you begin a battle, your weapon will come to you automatically. Simply hitting the enemy with it is your regular attack," Rey explained.

**Battle Start**

An axe head fastened itself onto Cera's horn, jutting out several inches with a spike on the end. Cera charged the creature, ramming it with the axe head then slashing back and forth. Each attack caused the creature to flash.

"Notice how the Ice Flan is not taking visible damage. Each of Cera's strikes are depleting its health points. It is defeated when all of its health points are gone, though the same applies to all of you as well. Get ready, Cera. It's about to strike back," Rey cautioned.

The Ice Flan shook slightly and opened its mouth wider.

_**~Acid~**_

A wad of slime hit Cera in the face, dimming her coloration.

"Ew, gross!" she exclaimed.

"Don't stop attacking! Keep it up!" Reina shouted.

Cera continued slashing away, but she wasn't moving as quickly as before. The Ice Flan whacked her a couple times as well, and she too would flash.

"Everyone see how Cera is moving now?" Rey asked the other. "That slime she was hit with is an ability called 'Acid.' It can cause a number of debuffs, and Cera is now inflicted with Slow, reducing her movement speed."

"How do I go back to normal and why can't I beat this thing?" Cera called out.

"Two very good questions," Rey continued. "Time for lesson two and three- defensive magic, and offensive magic. Ducky and Petrie, please join Cera."

They both went over to her, each at a different side. A small, white staff with a yellow orb at the end came to Ducky's right hand, and a gray pole a bit longer came to Petrie's.

"Now, Ducky, cast Esuna on Cera, and Petrie, cast Shining Flare on that Ice Flan," Rey told them.

Ducky raised her staff into the air.

_**~Esuna~**_

There were sparkles of light around Cera and her colors and movements went back to normal. "Why can't I beat this thing!" she called out again angrily.

"Flans have extremely high defense; normal attacks do very little damage to them," Rey told her.

"Then why did you ask me to attack it?" she shouted, all the more angry.

"Because they are very weak, therefore good for a training battle," he continued. "However, they have very low resistance to magic, and ice ones are especially weak to fire magic. The weather is sunny; Petrie, cast Shining Flare on that Ice Flan!"

Petrie flew up and raised his pole.

_**~Shining Flare~**_

A small ball of flames materialized above the Ice Flan and descended upon it, causing it to flash then vanish.

**Battle End**

_Cera gained a level!_

_Ducky gained a level!_

_Petrie gained a level!_

As you can see, my story would have been extremely different if I had kept the RPG feel to the battles, but I am very happy with the way my story ended up.

The tournament held was inspired by all the mangas I read: MAR: Marchen Awakens Romance had a tournament, Flame of Recca had a tournament, YuYu Hakusho had a tournament, and some others.

The cool downs on spells is something that came to me from playing World of Warcraft.

I had some other ideas from various things as well, having quite a list of unused ideas, but I think I shared enough to give you all a feel as to how inspiration affected my work and what ideas never worked out as I had hoped they would. This was my first time writing an adventure story. I hope that it was alright for a primary attempt. I thank everyone that reviewed my trilogy and simply those who read it as well. Until we meet again!


End file.
